In Sickness and In Health
by jeytonlover
Summary: Derek and Casey are in love, in college and married. They have an ideal life, that is until a tragic accident occurs. Will Derek let Casey help him or push her away at his time of greatest need. EPILOGUE IS POSTED! STORY COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**So, I've read hundred of LWD fanfics and have decided that I would finally be brave and try my hand at one. This is a Dasey of course and is probably considered AU (though in actuality, aren't all Dasey stories AU, I mean the powers that be will never put them together). I promise nothing other than to do my best. I hope you'll give me a chance. The first chapter kind of sets things up and by the end of chapter two (which I like much better than chapter 1) you'll have an idea of what is going to happen. Anyway, please give it a shot and tell me what you think.**

**Oh, and I don't own LWD, because if I did, there would be Dasey!**

* * *

Sheldon slipped into the driver's seat of his car and closed the door with a click. Then he pulled the shoulder harness across his chest.

"Okay, who'd rather go for a pizza?" he asked looking back through the rearview mirror. "Speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Sheldon," Emily laughed, tucking her book bag under her feet. "Start the car and let's get going."

"We agreed to go to the hospital, and we're going. You can have pizza later," Kendra told Sheldon firmly. She pulled the black angora beret off her curly blonde hair and shook out the strands. If the drive to find a donor for Ashley Thompson, a girl from their university, was to be a success, she would have to get tested, and so would Sheldon.

"Hey, I'm cool," Sheldon said.

"Well that could be debated," Kendra laughed.

"Oh yah?" Sheldon grumbled.

"Yah," Kendra chided.

"Let's just go you two," Emily chimed in, trying to keep peace. "Besides, I bet the others are already there."

Within fifteen minutes, they were at the entrance of the medical center. Although the parking lot wasn't jammed, there were a considerable number of cars.

"I guess everyone had the same idea," Kendra said, getting out and walking to the door with Emily. "That'll mean a long line."

"Maybe they'll be all booked up and they won't get to us," Sheldon said hopefully.

"Sheldon, there's always room for one more," Kendra said with an evil snicker.

"Look, there's Casey." Kendra signed her name quickly and walked up to the front of the line where Casey McDonald Venturi sat. Kendra grinned as she approached her and gave her a hug. No one seeing the two together would have ever suspected the two were anything but friends.

Even though Casey was married to Derek and Sam and Kendra were going on two years of togetherness, they used to feel funny being with each other. But over time, the girls had gotten pretty tight. Since Derek and Sam were practically linked at the hip, it was sort of inevitable that Casey and Kendra would see a lot of each other. Luckily, they had really begun to enjoy one another's company.

"Am I glad to see you guys," Casey smiled.

"Yeah," Sheldon pointed out. "Misery loves company."

"What?" Casey asked as she looked at him puzzled.

"Don't mind him," Kendra said, giving him a disparaging look. "Sheldon is a little queasy at the though of needles."

"Oh, I see," Casey laughed. "Here, squeeze in beside me."

"But that means we'll have to go in front of all these other people," Sheldon pointed out.

"Shut up, you big wuss," Kendra groaned as she rolled her eyes.

"Where are Derek and Sam?" Kendra asked Casey.

"Still at hockey practice," Casey answered. Casey saw the disappointed look on Kendra's face and shrugged, "Derek said to tell you Sam would come by your house later because he had several things he had to get done after practice." She had to smile at Kendra's eagerness. She used to feel exactly the same when she thought of Sam. How odd it was that now all she felt for him was close, warm friendship. It was Derek Venturi whose name, voice and face set her heart racing, Derek, her husband.

Soon they had all been tested and were ready to be on there way. Nobody was worse for the wear, except maybe Sheldon, whose color hadn't quite returned yet.

"Casey, are you coming?" Emily asked.

"That's okay. I'm waiting for Derek," Casey said, taking a seat.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm much happier with it than with chapter one. **

* * *

The giant round clock above the admitting desk read seven o'clock. Casey was pacing the hall, her neat black pumps clicking up and down on the linoleum as she spoke with Emily on the phone.

"Clever of Derek to wait until testing hours were over, wasn't it?" Emily joked.

"I really hate being kept waiting." Casey frowned. "I can't count the number of times I've told him that. And on top of everything else, he won't even answer his phone. It's going straight to voicemail."

"Just read another magazine," Emily suggested.

"But he knows his mom hates his being late even more than I do," Casey continued, making another pass along the corridor, "Especially on Friday nights when we're expected for dinner." Abby Venturi was a stickler for good manners, and that meant not being early, which was tacky, not being late, which was rude, but being right on time. And with Derek that was nearly impossible.

Another car pulled up to the entrance and Casey ran to the window. "Finally," she said. "I'll talk to you later," she added as she grabbed her coat and ran outside.

Derek kept the car running. There was an apologetic grin on his face when he pushed open the door on the passenger's side. "Don't make faces; it might stick that way! Besides, I'm not really late," he told her. "Mom called me before my phone died, and asked if we could have dinner at eight instead of seven, so we have an hour. Want to go somewhere fun?"

Casey narrowed her lips at her incorrigible husband. Then, reaching across the seat, she enveloped him. "How can I be mad at you?" she whispered in his ear, kissing him again and again.

"Hey, this is nice." Derek's brown eyes peered at this beautiful girl to whom he had the incredible good luck to be married. "Let's not go. Let's just stay here in the car and make out all night." He reached for her again, but she ducked under his arm.

"I'm hungry and you know I can never eat all that creamy stuff your mother serves. C'mon, let's go get something." She moved a foot away and he shrugged complacently.

"If you insist, but think of all those people surrounding us."

"Think of my growling stomach," she protested.

"Well, you have a point. But I'd still rather have you alone. Just you," he added simply. "Have a good day?" he asked her, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Not bad." She answered. "I did get a new coat today, do you like it?"

"You look fabulous," he answered. "Not that you need clothes to look fabulous," he added in a soft undertone.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

The restaurant was filled with people and Casey and Derek pushed their way through the crowd to a booth in the back.

"Great. Just wonderful," Derek said as he pushed a lock of hair off his forehead. "There's nothing like eating in the middle of a mob."

Casey giggled, "I love it here, lots of energy, and lots of spirit."

The food arrived and Casey dove into her hamburger the instant it was set before her. She didn't mind seeing Derek's mom once a week, but there was something about eating amidst all the fine china and antique silver that made the food sort of tasteless. Several years earlier she would have adored such a thing but she had changed, Derek had changed her and it was for the better.

Looking at her watch, Casey said, "Oh Derek, it's past eight, your mom!" Casey grabbed her coat and her husband's arm. They made it out the door and into the parking lot in record time, and were at the door of Derek's mom's house on Brookline Road in an astounding five minutes.

The conversation over Abby's dinner table ranged from clothes, to decorating their new home, to why Casey and Derek didn't seem very hungry. After the coffee and dessert, they sat in the beautifully decorated living room and dutifully admired Abby's latest acquisition – an abstract painting by a new, hot New York artist. And then Derek said it was getting late and they would need to run and thanks for the great meal and they'd see her next Friday. And with that, the two young people escaped into the night."

"I'm sorry I have to drag you to these obligatory dinners." Derek sighed, as he turned the key in the ignition.

"Oh, they're not so bad. Sometimes I really like talking to your mom," Casey admitted, cuddling closer to Derek in the car.

"Don't be polite," Derek told her firmly. "She's boring period. I tried to get you some better in-laws, you know, but these were the only ones available at the time."

She said as she stuck her elbow in his ribs. "Speaking of in-laws, can we stop off at our folks' house for a second? Lizzie needs me to read over a paper that she's writing for English."

"Sure Sweetie, but do you mind if I just drop you off and pick you up in an hour? I promised Sam I'd look at his car after dinner. The poor boy just can't manage anything without my help."

"I get it," Casey smiled knowingly. "You've had enough parents for one evening."

"Something like that," Derek admitted. "Is it okay?"

"You know I can't say no to you when you look so hot!" Casey touched his cheek lovingly as he turned to her. They had stopped at a red light in the middle of town. "You're terrific," she whispered, bestowing a soft kiss on his neck.

He would have responded in kind, but the light changed again, and there was a car right behind him. "Then you're not too sorry you left New York and came home and ended up marrying me?" he teased.

"Never!"

"But your dance career might have really taken off," he went on. "Another month, and you might have been on Broadway."

"And I might have been really depressed, desperately waiting tables to earn a few nickels, living in that awful apartment with two girls I hardly knew!" Casey shuddered, remembering those difficult times in the big city.

"What, you mean you've lost your ambition?" he teased.

"Oh no, I just redirected it. I'm past all that. Let's face it, this is my home. Everything I know and love is here. Including, one Derek Venturi."

Derek turned into their parents' driveway and turned off the engine. He took her in his arms and kissed her, his mouth covering hers with sheer pleasure and delight. They stayed that way for a longtime, until the porch light snapped on and Nora appeared in the doorway.

"Come back for me soon," Casey whispered, hugging Derek around the neck. "I miss you every instant you're not around me."

"That goes double for me," Derek replied, getting out and opening the car door on her side. As she slipped away from him, he grabbed her fingers and brought them to his lips. "I'm going to make you happy for the rest of your life. I hope you're prepared to handle that," he said.

"I think I could get used to it," she grinned, grabbing her purse and phone from the car. She watched as Derek backed out of the driveway and down the block toward the intersection.

It was true. Being with him had made her more accepting of herself. In the old days, grade-grubbing, workaholic Casey would have considered anything less than perfection a terrible comedown. Now, she thought, life was exciting being married to Derek and going to college. Maybe she had grown up. Or maybe she was just wonderfully, totally in love.

"Hi, Mom," she called as she ran up the driveway. "Hey, Lizzie," she said to her little sister, who had run out to meet her at the door.

"Ooh, you look gorgeous, as usual." Lizzie sighed. "C'mon into the kitchen and have some tea. You can tell me every tiny detail about what you did at Abby's tonight, and don't leave out anything!"

Lizzie and Casey looked over the English paper and then began to talk and laugh as only sisters can do.

"Pretty noisy in here," George commented as he entered the kitchen. He smiled at the two girls he had grown to love as daughters. "Where's that husband of yours, Casey?"

For the first time since she'd arrived, Casey glanced up at the kitchen clock. More than an hour had gone by. That was odd, Derek wasn't that eager to work on Sam's car – particularly when he had hockey practice the next morning.

"Derek's phone is dead. I'll give Sam a call and see what's keeping him," Casey said.

But when she dialed the number and Sam answered the first thing he wanted to know was where her dumb husband was. He'd been waiting for Derek for over an hour.

Casey collapsed in the chair.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

Derek drove more slowly than usual. Just like his buddy Sam, Derek considered cars to be a vital part of his life. He liked looking at cars, driving cars, and tinkering with cars. But unlike Sam, Derek had a wife. A gorgeous girl who was everything he'd ever dreamed of. And the neat thing was, whenever he got in his car to go home, it was going home to her.

Maybe it was too perfect. Maybe things weren't suppose to be this good, and something, some bolt of lightening or tick of fate, would come along and mess it up suddenly and completely. Maybe not, though. His life was finely settling down, chilling out and getting good.

He grinned as he pushed the Porsche, a gift from his mother after they had reconciled, harder, gunning it along the silent road. There were a few simple things that made him happy: Casey, his family and friends, hockey and driving his Porsche.

He took the curve into the steel-deck bridge a little too quickly, and the Porsche swung sharply to the right. Derek corrected it just as another set of headlights came rushing up to him. The night, so totally dark, was suddenly blinding. He squinted ahead, blaring his horn and turning the wheel as hard as he ever had.

The approaching car seemed to jump off the road, careened back towards him like a cannonball shot at short range. Derek was aware of a line of cars behind him, all stopping short and then suddenly, the impact of metal hitting metal. He felt the world upside down, his head resting right on the roof of the car. There was a ripping sound, glass shattering, a feeling of something wet rolling down his face. He didn't have time to scream.

LWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWD

Trevor and Emily were on their way back to Emily's house. They had just enjoyed a great night at a club, where a new, hot alternative band was playing. They sat in comfortable silence, the kind that comes from years of being together. They were the first of their group to pair off; the first to find their soulmate.

"Hey, slow down!" Emily sat up straight, peering down the road. "What's that?" she asked. They could hear, quite distinctly, the whine of a police siren.

They were on the other side of the lake now, and as they drew closer, they could make out the spinning lights of an ambulance.

"This looks bad. Go past it. Wait, no, slow down!" Emily put her hand on his on the steering wheel.

"Do you want to cause another accident?" he asked her sharply. But he pulled into the slow lane, and as the cars in front of him inched along, he craned his neck out the window, trying to see what had happened.

"Pull into a driveway. I have this feeling. Oh Trevor!" Emily gasped as they peeled off past the wreckage.

"What?" What did you see?"

"It's Derek's Porsche. I'd know it anywhere!"

He jerked the car to a halt on the edge of the next driveway and pulled the door open. Emily was already running back toward the scene of the accident.

"Get back. What are you kids doing?" A tall policeman had set up a cordon over the bridge, and he wasn't letting anyone past. But they could see two ambulance workers right behind him. The men were lifting a stretcher very gently into the back of the vehicle.

"I can't believe it." Emily could taste the fear in her mouth, and she ducked under the cops arm, making a dash for the ambulance. All she saw, before they closed the door in her face, was a strange twisted form covered with a blanket. She would never forget the sight of that shock of brown hair, streaked with red, lying limply on a flat white sheet.

"Is it him?" Trevor called over the cop's shoulder.

"Who's in the ambulance?" Emily demanded. "Who was killed?"

"He's not dead," one of the workers said, "although I bet when he wakes up he'll wish he were." The man shook his head and snapped the lock on the back door. "His license says Derek Venturi. Hey, isn't that the kid who's the star on the university hockey team?"

Emily bit down had on her lip. The pain made her sense every nerve in her body throbbing. Trevor was beside her in a second, and he didn't have to ask. He knew by the look on her face exactly what she knew.

"We'll go to the hospital. We'll call everybody. Emily, are you okay?" He grabbed her and hugged her hard, and the touch of his hands rallied her spirits slightly. She nodded, walking beside him to the car.

"He's not dead," she repeated softly. "That's the important thing."

He helped her into the passenger seat and pressed the door closed, leaning on it for a second thinking. Derek was supposed to be like Superman, invincible. He was the guy every other guy wanted to be and every girl wanted to be with. But tonight, he wouldn't trade places with him for anything.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

The police car pulled up in front of the Venturi-McDonald house while Casey was still on the phone with Sam. One look at the man's face and Nora knew that something terrible had happened.

"Does a Derek Venturi still live at this address? It was the one listed on his driver's license," the officer said.

Casey ran to the door. "Derek hasn't had his address changed yet, but I'm his wife, Casey."

"Your husband's been in an accident down by the bridge. Not his fault. The other guy's responsible. But Mr. Venturi is hurt pretty bad. I'll get you over to the hospital."

Lizzie burst into tears and Casey patted her hand as she got up and went with the officer. Suddenly, it was very important that she think clearly, that she do things right.

"Go along Casey. We'll get the kids situated and we'll be there," George said.

When they arrived she raced through the emergency room entrance looking for anyone who could give her answers.

"Mrs. Venturi?" a kind voice beside her made her jump.

"Yes?" Her blue eyes, shining with tears, took in a young doctor in a white coat.

"You can see him now, but not for very long. He's extremely weak, and we've got him on some pretty powerful medication."

"Thank you."

The doctor touched her arm. "Are you going to be able to take this? It's a little difficult…" he trailed off.

"Yes, thank you," she said staunchly, trying to keep her knees from shaking. "I can manage." She started down the corridor with the doctor, the same corridor she had paced hours ago when she was waiting for her incorrigible husband, who was always late, to come and pick her up.

"Derek was in a private room, lying in a pristine white bed, nearly invisible from all the machines and tubes and bandages on him. His face was completely swathed in white gauze, and both his legs and arms were in plaster casts.

She steadied herself at the door. She couldn't fall apart, not now. She had to be brave and strong --- for him. "Sweetie, it's me. I'm here."

She saw his parched lips move and she rushed to him, not wanting him to exert himself. "You don't have to talk. Just be still."

"Mmm. Honey, bad. I'm so dumb."

"No! It wasn't you. The policeman told me. The other guy was responsible. And he wasn't even hurt." She felt the anger surge in her again, just the way it had when the officer first told her. Some awful, terrible driver who just wasn't looking had walked away from the bridge, and Derek was lying there in a mess of bandages.

"We should never be separated," she whispered to him. "If I'd been with you----"

"Uh-Uh. No way. Then both would be here. Not to romantic." It was all he could do to get the words out.

"Oh, I love you so much!" She sobbed, finally letting the rush of tears claim her. She was so grateful it hadn't been worse, but so miserable to see him in crumbled pieces.

"Love yah Sweetie. Gotta sleep."

"I know. You rest and get well, okay? I will be here the second you wake up." She touched his forehead, or the place where it usually was. All she felt was tape and gauze, but she knew exactly what was underneath the bandages. She remembered, just last night, sitting on their couch together, his head resting in her lap, as she stroked that forehead gently and they talked about the day. It had been so wonderful. And she had taken it for granted.

She walked down the corridor to find their parents, and was stunned to see a familiar face at the end of the hall. Sam rushed towards her, taking her hands in his.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Casey shook her head yes but it was all she could do to keep from screaming. She was thrilled to see Sam. Sam, so good and kind, always there when you needed him, Derek's best friend. His kind face was creased with concern --- for both her and Derek.

"Yes, yes, I think so. Oh, Sam, I just saw him and he's such a mess. There's no part of him that isn't all wrapped up, and he can hardly talk, and I'm so worried, and I should have been with him, and…" she rushed on, all her words and thoughts hurtling out into space.

"Whoa! Don't do this to yourself, Casey. Derek was on his way to see me, to do me a favor. That's all. You aren't supposed to be with him every hour or every day, you know. You're married to him, not attached at the hip."

Guilt was a very powerful feeling, and Casey had never experienced it as keenly as she did that very minute.

"I'm part of his life. I'm his wife. I'm supposed to be there when he needs me, not laughing with my little sister!" She let down all her defenses and wept in his arms, and only when she had calmed down a little bit did he even bother to try and console her.

"He needs you now, more than he ever has in his life, and you're right here. From the looks of it, you're not going anywhere. Now you can eat yourself alive with 'should have' and 'why didn't I', but believe me Casey, that's not going to do anybody any good. Derek Venturi isn't the type of guy who needs a weepy wife smothering him with pity. He needs your love and your support, and most of all, your strength."

All tears spent, she looked up into his eyes and nodded. "You're right. Let's go back. He's all alone in that room."

Sam walked with her to the door and peered in. The machines buzzed softly, but above that mechanical noise, they could hear the easy breathing of a person asleep. He looked so peaceful, so still, that the two of them just stood there a moment, studying him. Derek was always on the go, the most physical person either of them had ever known. Even in his sleep, he was usually restless. But tonight, it was different. Everything was.

"Let's go get a cup of coffee at the cafeteria and come back," Sam suggested.

Casey nodded in agreement, and together they went down the hall. She felt the distance from Derek tug at her heart, and the coffee tasted bitter to her, mixed with all her doubts and fears.

"Has---has anyone said anything about how bad it is?" Sam asked when they wandered back to Derek's room. "Maybe we should try to find out."

She gave him a pained look. "I don't think I want to know."

"Hey, he may be dancing in a week, Casey," Sam suggested with a half-hearted laugh. "You'll never know anything until you ask a few questions to the people in charge. We could be getting all bent out of shape over nothing."

She smiled a little, for the first time in hours. She sighed, linking her arm through his. "You're a great friend Sam. I don't know what we'd do without you." They turned and walked back to the nurse's station.

"There --- that's one of the doctors. I saw him before. Let's ask him," Casey said.

The man had his back to the two of them, and he was leaning over towards one of the nurses, deep in conversation, so he didn't see Sam and Casey approaching.

"Well, I'll tell you," the doctor was saying, "you see everything in this business, so it shouldn't surprise me. But a kid like that, it's criminal. If that boy ever walks again, it'll be a miracle."

Casey lost her footing and stumbled. She wasn't aware of Sam coaxing her to come and sit down beside him. She didn't see the doctor turn to her and shake his head apologetically. She was devastated by what she had just heard, by the words that had just changed her life irrevocably.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Flashback!**

**

* * *

**Casey spent the night in the chair right by Derek's bed. She sent everyone else home, telling them that she'd be okay and she'd call them if anything changed. In actuality, Casey just wanted to be alone, alone with Derek. She would spend the night with him, just as she had every night since their marriage, save away hockey games.

Tossing and turning, she couldn't sleep. So she began to think, to think back to how this whole journey to a life with Derek had began.

_Through high school, Derek and she continued to flourish in hockey and dance respectfully. After senior year, Derek had been chosen to spend the summer traveling with the Junior Canadian hockey team; playing exhibition games all over Canada and the United States. She continued to excel at dance, winning competition after competition. And while doing all this, they had managed to become friends. Fights and insults gave way to civility and late night talks. _

_Derek had agreed to play hockey at the local university that coming fall. She would also be attending there, as she had fallen in love with the English Department. That was, until her dance instructor had started filling her mind full of, what ended up being, pipe dreams. He felt that she was destined to be a star. With her looks, voice and dancing abilities, she would have no trouble landing on Broadway._

_She had blown him off at first. Why would anyone choose her for their Broadway show? But the more he persisted, the more she thought about it. Looking back, she realized that the combination of her insecurities being stroked by her instructor's flattery and glowing comments had indeed been a bad combination._

_Soon, thoughts of New York and Broadway consumed her. When she told her Mom and George the news, they tried to make her realize how hard it would be. But she wouldn't listen; she had made up her mind. She was going to New York the day after graduation, with or without their approval._

_Graduation day came and it was wonderful. Casey had graduated with honors; being named valedictorian, and Derek, well Derek had graduated, having continued to use his charm and smooth moves to get through._

_After a celebratory dinner, George and Nora had presented Casey and Derek each with a new set of luggage. They joked with Derek that they knew it didn't compare to the Porsche his mom had presented him with earlier that day, but that they could both use the new luggage for tomorrow. Derek would be flying out to meet the rest of the Canadian Junior Hockey team while she would be flying out to pursue her dreams of fame and fortune._

_The next morning she had looked around her room. All her familiar belongings seemed to beg her to stay. Stay where it was safe, where it was comfortable. She was brought out of her thoughts by a knock on the door._

_Derek came in and looked around. "How do you really fell about all this?" he asked._

"_I don't know. I'm excited and scared all at the same time," she answered. "Does that make any sense?"_

"_Of course it does. I know just how you feel. I'm flying out to play with the best of the best. I've always been top dog, king of the ice. I'm not sure I know how to be just another guy on the team," he admitted._

"_Oh, Derek, you'll shine wherever you are. You have the ability and charisma to achieve whatever you want. I, on the other hand, am flying to New York, to follow a dream that gets squashed everyday for girls who are far more pretty and talented than I am," she shared._

_Derek walked towards her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Listen Case, never sale yourself short. You have more talent in your little pinky than most of those other girls do in their entire body," he state sincerely, looking directly into her eyes._

_She could feel the connection between them and the shiver that went down her spine. It made her gasp aloud._

_At the same time Derek had looked at her with eyes that were hard to decipher. As if something had clicked in his head and he didn't know what to do with the information. He pulled away from her and added jokingly, "Besides, if you can survive our first few years together under the same roof, New York will be a piece of cake."_

_Moving on, she remembered that summer, that long, horrible summer. It was the worse time of her life. She spent it as a waitress at various restaurants and coffee houses while frantically rushing to auditions that led to nothing. She had come to New York looking for fame, fortune, adventure and fun and she was having no such luck with any of those things. _

_The only thing keeping her going that summer were Derek's words of encouragement. They didn't talk very often, but when they did, he would give her a pep talk. Tell her again how beautiful and talented she was. How, if those producers couldn't see it then they were blind._

_She had hung onto those words, thinking of Derek more and more. Her mind would take her away from her dreary life to another place, though she wasn't ready to admit it then, to a life with Derek._

_She thought this was preposterous. But little did she realize that thousands of miles away, Derek was doing the same thing. _

_Later he would tell her how her words before they left gave him the courage to go at it full force. His hard work had paid off and he was a star. He had major league hockey scouts drooling about what he would be like after four years at university and he had other universities kicking themselves for not recruiting him harder. All the while he kept a picture of them, taken after graduation, with him. Putting it up in his locker in whatever arena they were playing in that night. When his teammates had assumed it was his girlfriend, teasingly asking how a guy like him had ever landed a girl like her, he didn't correct them. _

_For some reason, the saying absence makes the heart grow fonder, was becoming a living lesson to him. He had told her of how the thought of her had consumed him more and more. He remembered the shock that ran through his hands and clear down to his toes when he had placed his hands on her shoulders that morning. The aching in the pit of his stomach when he heard her talk about how hard life in New York was. All he wanted to do was reach through the phone and hold her, to tell her how wonderful she was. Derek said he hadn't been sure what was happening at the time, but that he knew he was in deep._

_She had finally had enough of New York. The homesickness, compiled with the feelings of inadequacy had finally gotten to her. She was going home. Home to where she belonged. She hadn't even told her family she was coming. She was too embarrassed to ask her mom and George for money for a plane ticket. She quit going to auditions and worked double shifts, saving enough money to purchase it on her own. It was the beginning of September and university would be starting in a week. She would go home, back to school and back to being smart, responsible Casey. She would swallow her pride and admit defeat._

_Little did she know at the time how that flight would change her life forever. How destiny had taken hold and pushed her towards the life she now enjoyed. Her taxi had been stuck in traffic and she had almost missed her flight. As she had hurried aboard the plane she had tripped over a bag that had been placed out in the aisle, not yet put above the seats in storage. She felt strong arms helping her up and when she turned to see who they belonged to, she was met be a set of very familiar eyes. Eyes that made her stomach drop and her heart sing._

_The two sat there in a state of shock at finding each other on the plane. They were holding hands, half in delight, and half in confusion. Derek had just finished the hockey tour last night and had been on a connecting flight from Atlanta._

_She, for lack of anything else to say, flashed a wide grin and laid her head on Derek's shoulder. Looking up, she had told Derek it was the first time she had felt whole since she had left home. Derek was gently stroking her hair, trying to give her a peace she hadn't felt in months._

_Finally, they both couldn't hold it in any longer. As she was lifting her head up, Derek had moved his hand to lift her chin. They stared into each other's eyes, searching to see if what they were feeling was reflected in the others. Soon a feeling swept over them that neither could ignore. It was a feeling of complete love and surrender. Of things they had longed for and for things they hoped were still to come. And with that, Derek had leaned over and kissed her._

She was brought out of her thoughts by the nurse who came in to check on Derek. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she gently places her hand on his. She only hoped that under all the bandages, casts and multiple injuries, her Derek still lay in there somewhere. Sure she loved his body, but it was more his mind and soul that she coveted. And being honest with herself, she wasn't sure that they had survived the wreck any better than his body had.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

George and Nora had gotten to the hospital early the next morning, convincing Casey that with Derek still sleeping, it was the perfect opportunity for her to run home, take a shower and put on fresh clothes.

Walking back into their home was almost more than she could bear. She remembered how excited she was when they had found this house. Derek's mom had insisted on buying them a house as a wedding gift. Abby Venturi had come from money, old money. Her ancestor's had been the movers and shakers in developing the city. When her parents had died tragically in a plane crash, as an only child, she had inherited it all. It was then, the summer before their senior year that Abby had reached out to her children. It seemed as if Abby was trying to make up for lost time, buying things for her children every chance she got.

Casey had been very leery at Abby's offer of a house, but Derek had insisted that if she wanted to buy them a house then let her. She had unenthusiastically and begrudgedly agreed to go with Derek and the realtor. Unenthusiastically, that was, until the realtor had pulled up at this one. It was a small stone cottage that looked like it belonged in the forest of a fairytale and not in the city. She had instantly known that this was it. But now, she felt none of its charm and warmth. It only felt cold and empty this morning.

Casey showered and changed as quickly as possible, partly because she wanted to get back to Derek and partly because she couldn't stay in the house a second longer.

When she arrived back at the hospital she saw Sam standing outside Derek's door. When Sam saw her coming, he smiled at her warmly and told her that Derek had just woken up. Casey's eyes looked like those of a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching car. She paused for a moment, put on her best carefree smile and walked in.

Casey drew up a chair by her husband's bedside. His eyes, puffy and with black and blue splotches around them, flickered open.

"Well, well. So how do I look?" he asked.

Casey calmed the fear inside her and smiled. "Kind of like a raccoon that's had a bad day. How do you feel?" she asked.

"Hmm, now that's an interesting question. It's sort of weird, but you know, I don't feel so bad."

She was about to respond when the door opened and two doctor's walked in. She remembered she had seen both of these men the previous night.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Venturi. I'm Dr. Davies, the neurologist, and this is my colleague, Dr. Adelman. He's an osteopath."

"Okay," Derek stated. "That's nerves and bones, right?"

"You've got it," Dr. Adelman said.

"I'd come over and shake your hand," Derek said grinning, "but I'm a little hung up here."

"I'm delighted to see your progress, Derek," Dr. Davies said. "Last night we were really worried about you."

"Oh, he's a fighter," Casey said. "That's one of the things I love about him," she added in a whisper, so that only Derek could hear.

"Well now, we thought we'd like to discuss….the future," Dr. Davies went on.

"Sounds good to me," Derek said. "Like, you mean, when can I get out of here and when I can start skating again?"

"Not exactly," Dr. Adelman said without a smile.

Casey stood up, gripping the side of Derek's bed. "Just what do you mean?" she asked.

"Perhaps you'd like to step outside Casey, if I may call you Casey," the doctor said softly, "and we'll have a little conversation-----"

"No way!" Derek practically yelled. "If you've got something to say to her about my condition, you say it to my face. I'm not an idiot, you know!"

"We just wanted to make the whole process easier for ---- both of you," Dr. Davies stated.

Casey glanced down and saw her hands shaking on the metal frames of the bed. She tried to control them, but they seemed to have a life of their own. And her stomach seemed to be tied in a succession of knots. "Just say it. Whatever it is, it's better that we know."

Dr. Davies sat down on the side of Derek's bed and licked his lips. His balding head shone in the overhead lights. "I'm going to try a little test now, if I may, Derek." He produced a straight pin from the inside of his lapel and he moved down to the end of the bed. He lifted the sheet, exposing Derek's feet.

"You just tell the doctor when you feel a pin prick, okay?" Dr. Adelman said.

Casey watched as the doctor made a pass near the ball of Derek's right foot.

"Yah there, I felt something," Derek said confidently.

"I didn't do anything yet," the doctor said. He then turned his back. Casey saw him prick the big toe, and then the heel. Derek had his eyes closed, concentrating. He said nothing. Dr. Davies moved to the left foot. He touched it gently to the ball, then to the heel. When Derek was silent, he put pressure on the pin, pressing it against the skin.

"Okay, you can get started," Derek muttered.

Casey felt the knots in her stomach tightening. "He's already finished, Derek," she stated quietly.

Dr. Adelman shook his head. "Now I don't want you to get the impression that this is permanent. When you've healed a little more, you'll have physical therapy, of course. We don't really know how badly you've damaged your spinal column, Derek, and that's the key thing here. You'll have to wear a neck brace for a while, and we want the bones to set properly. After that, it's anybody's guess."

"About whether I'm a cripple, you mean," Derek said in a flat voice.

"About whether you'll walk again, yes," Dr. Davies nodded. "But it's very premature to even consider that."

Casey's eyes were hot with unshed tears. She couldn't, she wouldn't, believe that his was happening to them. Derek had always led a charmed life. A life that had brought him everything he'd ever wanted. She refused to give up hope – she knew that Derek would be alright. It was just a matter of time.

Derek cleared his throat and started to speak. At first, his voice was low and unrushed, but soon it was edged with fury. "You know, you guys are really something. You come in here like you own the place, and you start making stupid judgments about what I can and cannot do. Just because I don't jump when you stick a pin in me doesn't mean anything, okay? You listen to me," he went on, his tone growing with intensity, "if I want to walk again, I'll walk! And I don't give a damn what you say!"

The doctors looked at one another before starting for the door. "I'm glad to hear you say that Derek. It's going to take that kind of will and persistence to make progress. We'll leave you two alone now," Dr. Adelman said. "I'm sure you two have a great deal to talk about." And as smoothly and quickly as they had entered the room, they vanished.

"Sweetheart----" Casey began.

"What incredible nerve! Where do these guys get off saying stuff like that," Derek demanded angrily.

Casey was stunned – by the doctor's awful uncertainty and by Derek's reaction. "Listen, I don't want to believe----"

"Then don't!" Derek yelled. "Sorry," he said immediately afterwards. "I've really had it. You mind getting lost for a while Casey? I could use a little time alone."

"But we have to talk," Casey protested.

"Sure, but it'll wait. We've got all the time in the world to talk," Derek said. His voice echoed around the sterile room.

When he turned his head away from her, she knew she had no other choice but to leave him alone. All she wanted to do was take him in her arms and hug him hard, assure him that he was going to get well, but she sensed his deeper need to just be alone with this terrible news and absorb it all by himself.

"I'll be right outside," she told him. "Please call if you need me."

He settled down into the pillow as she closed the door behind her. There was no sense in getting all riled up about this, none at all. And then, he realized with great relief, for the first time since the accident, he felt pain. Not in his legs, but in his heart and in his mind.

That was a start, at least.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

**Flashback!**

* * *

Derek turned his head and looked away, signaling it was time for Casey to leave. He couldn't stand to look at her anymore. To see the look of fright, but more than that, the look of pity he felt sure was there. If there was one thing Derek Venturi couldn't stand it was pity, especially coming from his wife. He was the rock. The one she leaned on in times of trouble. Now he was the cause of her troubles and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

Derek couldn't deal with it anymore. He tried to think of anything at all that would make him forget, for even a moment, what was happening. The sad thing was, he admitted to himself, that the only thing, the only person, that could do that, he had sent away. That left him alone, consumed with his thoughts, and his thoughts led him back to Casey.

_As soon as he had kissed Casey on that plane he knew it was over. No more pretending. No more trying to convince himself that this wasn't really happening. That he wasn't totally, madly, head over heals in love with her. Now, convincing Casey of this had been much harder. She had said she knew how she felt, but that she didn't want this to be a rebound thing. Something she jumped into because of everything she had just experienced in New York._

_That didn't mean she didn't love spending time with him. They had been inseparable when they got home, as if trying to make up for lost time. There just hadn't been enough hours in the day._

_He soon started to talk with Casey about their future. She had blown him off, telling him how he could never be serious. Little did she know how serious he really was. Casey literally consumed his every thought._

_The university hockey team had won the championship last year, winning at an away game that Casey couldn't attend. He had called her that night and told her to meet his plane the next evening at seven o'clock. He had no intention of being on that plane. His flight would be arriving much earlier in the day but Sam would be on the seven o'clock plane taking care of step one in his plan._

_When Sam had gotten off the plane with the rest of the team, he had told a disappointed Casey that because he had been named MVP, he had to stay back to do public relations. Sam then had asked Casey if she minded going back by the hockey arena with him, stating that the team was to report there at eight o'clock to check their equipment in for the season._

_When they had arrived at the arena, Casey had walked in and saw him standing in the middle of the ice. Still not comprehending what was happening; she had looked at him and said, "What are you doing here? I thought you were still gone." At this point she had just thought that his press conference had been cancelled and he had caught a flight home._

_Then, looking around her, she had saw her mom, his dad, Lizzie, Marti and Edwin, who was using a video camera to capture what was happening. That's when she started to realize what was really happening._

_He had begun, "Hockey has always been the most important thing in my life, that is, until you happened. But even still, hockey has been a big part of us from the beginning. I had Sam bring you here so that I could take care of some very important off-season business. The teams that are the most successful are the teams that make the best off-season moves. Since you joined my team, I've had nothing but success. You're my MVP, my franchise player. But I recognize that you are an unrestricted free agent and I want to do something about that today. I'm prepared to make you a contract offer that will ensure that you end your career on my team."_

"_Now, as a free agent I know that you can entertain other offers, but my offer does have several features that I think you will find enticing. One, it's a life-time contract. Two, there is a no trade clause. Three, there is a signing bonus," he said as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, "and fourth, and most importantly, you will be on a winning team with me for the rest of our lives."_

"_Casey, you are the one I've been searching for my whole life. You are THE ONE. You are my soulmate and you make my life complete. I don't ever want to live without you. I love you with all my heart and soul."_

_Then, as he had gotten down on one knee, the message on the scoreboard had simply said ---- Casey, will you marry me? Love, Derek. She had immediately jumped into his arms and said yes, not even bothering to open the ring box._

_She cried, he cheered and everyone clapped. Everything had worked as planned. It was a beautiful, wonderful thing. In one word, perfection._

Derek signed with a sense of longing and fear. He was sure that days of perfection like that were over. How could he expect Casey to live with this Derek when all she had ever known was the other Derek? Now, that Derek was gone, crumpled and torn apart just like his car. His Casey was a fixer, always trying to make things better. And with tears rolling down his face, he silently wondered if Casey could handle what she couldn't fix.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

Derek's room looked like a flower shop. All his friends had sent something, and of course his mother had placed a standing order with the florist for a fresh bouquet by his bedside daily. The nurses were informed that they could take the previous day's flowers to their station.

When Sam walked into Derek's room that afternoon he was carrying Derek's iPod. He had stayed up late the night before downloading new music for Derek.

"Hey, this place looks like---"

"Don't say it," Derek cautioned him. "I think enough is enough. Boy, am I glad you didn't bring another living thing in here."

Sam moved to the side of the bed, hesitating as he looked at the impressive set of machines, dials and the traction apparatus. "Can I sit down?"

"Wish you would. Everybody else pulls up a chair, like they think if they jar my body one more millimeter by plopping down on the bed; it'll break me in two." He chuckled a little. "They might be right, come to think of it."

"Hey you, no talk like that." Sam had been wracking his brain all day for positive things to say to his friend. He had a few ready quips, but it was going to be tough, especially after the phone conversation he'd had with Casey that day. The doctors had nothing but dire predictions, and she was getting worried about them leaking to Derek.

"I don't want to get his spirits down in any way," she'd told Sam that morning. "If he's left to his own devices, he'll get sick and tired of being an invalid and just throw off the covers one day and jump out of bed. But if he listens to the doctors, who knows what effect it might have."

Sam had promised to be as cheery and light-hearted as he could be. But looking at Derek, his head still swathed in bandages, his face bruised and battered, it was all he could do to keep from crying.

"So, what's new in town?" Derek asked.

"Oh, well the absolute key topic of conversation is one Derek Venturi, and how he's doing and when he's due out of the hospital."

"Nice," Derek murmured. He turned his face away slightly, so that he didn't have to look into Sam's eyes.

"You know, you ought to be used to this kind of thing. As I recall, you've had lots of aches and pain through the years in hockey. I remember plenty of times that you were certain you weren't going to be able to lift one foot in front of the other the next day. But guess what? You did."

"Right," Derek cleared his throat as he reached for the remote. "It was really nice of you to come over, but I guess you probably have to meet Kendra now, right? You don't have to stay ---- Casey will be here soon."

"I don't _have_ to stay. I _want_ to stay." Sam didn't like Derek's tone of voice one bit.

"Well, maybe I'm just not in the mood for company." He turned on the TV and a soap opera came on the screen.

Sam reached up and turned off the set. "Don't be like that Derek. I know you're a mess now, but you'll get better."

"Who says?"

"Oh come on!" Suddenly, Sam was mad. "You want sympathy? If you do, I'm not your man. If you think I came here to tell you how sorry I am for you, then you have another thing coming. Look, you drew a real bad card, I'll admit that, but it could have been worse. You should thank your lucky stars."

"Oh, I certainly thank them. It's just wonderful being here, laid up like this."

"You know," Sam said, increasingly frustrated and furious that he was not communicating, "If there's one thing I hate, it's a cynic. That's the easy way out. Okay, have it your way. Don't try at all. Just lie there." And then, even though he wanted to hug Derek and tell him he really cared, he started for the door.

"This is the end of the line for me," Derek said softly. "I'm not being cynical. I'm looking at things clearly."

Sam whirled around, "What are you talking about?"

"Look, you know me, man. You know what makes me tick. I'm a physical person ---- activity is my reason for being. At least it was until that night. Think about it, Sam. I have to be on the go. It's all or nothing with me. That's me in a nutshell."

Derek threw off the hospital sheets, revealing the plaster casts that covered his legs from the balls of his feet to above his hips. "It's the reason Casey married me, man. Because I am ---- was strong and healthy and a terrific physical specimen." He stopped and looked down at his useless legs. It was as if they didn't belong to him at all.

"She married you because she loves you, whether you can run around or not. You're a real idiot if you think all she cares about are your dumb muscles."

Derek slowly shook his head from side to side. "I'm not sure about that. But I do know one thing. Something very big has changed. I can never bring back the Derek that was before the accident."

"But if you try real hard," Sam persisted, "maybe you'll come up with an even better Derek."

For the first time, Derek managed to smile. "All I know is that I'm going to be on my back for a long time, whether I like it or not. So I might as well get used to it."

Sam was about to tell him it would be a criminal offense to want to get used to anything so awful, when there was knock on the door of Derek's room.

"Come in," Derek ordered. He was relieved to be rid of such a heavy conversation. He couldn't take any more of Sam's well meaning but impossible help.

Emily and Trevor stuck their heads in, "We heard you were holding court in here, and we wondered if we could get a royal audience?" Emily grinned.

The joke was forced, but they had made a pact before they came in to be as ridiculous and off the wall as they could. And twenty minutes later, they had managed to get Derek and Sam to be just as silly as they were.

"Hey, what is this?" Kendra asked in astonishment, coming in and looking at the four of them. "I thought this was a sick room."

"No such luck," Derek announced. "I have declared myself officially well. Tell _that _to the doctors."

The others were too busy trying to entertain Derek to realize that there was something different about his mood, a subtle difference in him. But Sam saw it and he was determined now to shake him out of it. Only by getting Derek back on his feet emotionally would they ever be able to get him back on his feet literally.

It was almost seven o'clock when Casey walked into the room. She seemed flushed, almost elated. There was a brightness in here blue eyes and a lilt to her walk that had been totally missing since the accident.

"Hi everybody, hi Sweetheart!" She walked over to Derek and bent over to give him a kiss. "I met somebody really wonderful today."

"Oh really?" Derek nodded. "Who?"

"She's your new coach, among other things," Casey laughed and went to the door to open it. "May I introduce Tori Yoast, your physical therapist?"

A small, wiry woman who looked no older than any of them in the room, with close-cropped dark hair and snapping black eyes, walked into the room. "Hi Derek," she said matter of factly.

"How're you doing?" he responded.

"Well, you guys probably need some time alone," Emily said immediately. "We'll be back tomorrow."

The friends said their good-byes and filed out. Sam was the last to go. "Remember what I said, okay?" he counseled Derek.

"It's engraved on my brain good buddy," Derek nodded gamely, so that Sam couldn't tell whether Derek was putting him on. With a sigh, he too walked out of the room, leaving Casey and Tori alone with the patient.

"So, you're _another _doctor," Derek said skeptically.

"No, I'm not an MD. But I have a lot of experience with spinal injuries. I think I can help you."

"Interesting," Derek said noncommittally.

"Derek, be patient, okay?" Casey warned him.

"Hey, that's all I can be. A patient," he quipped sardonically.

Tori paid no attention to this. "Now I've examined your chart and your current X-rays," she said, "so I guess I should examine you to determine your course of therapy. It's much too soon yet, of course, and we won't get into the difficult stuff until a few weeks from now, but I always feel it's good to go over what's on your mind before we go out onto the floor, or the ice as you might like to say. Your wife tells me you're a hockey player."

"Yeah, but that seems like a lifetime ago."

Tori smiled. "Well, we'll see if we can't include that activity in your next life too. Once I'm done with you, I'll have you playing, not just walking."

Casey saw the thunderclouds race across Derek's brow. He had had one pep talk too many today.

"All right lady, you can just forget it for now," he growled. "I've been poked and prodded and looked at like I'm some sort of rare specimen on display and I've had it!"

"I hear you," she said simply, backing off. "I don't think we have to do much more than talk for right now Derek. But I want you to get ready to work. Because unless you cooperate, you're not going to crawl, let alone walk," and with that, Tori brusquely turned on her heel and left the young couple together.

"Oh, she's a real prize!" Derek exclaimed.

"You didn't give her a chance," Casey told him. She was angry with his rude behavior, and yet she couldn't yell at him ---- not in the condition he was in. But she had to agree that Tori's bedside manner was not the greatest. That was weird too, because she'd had the most wonderful talk with the therapist that afternoon, learning all about the special things that could be done for people who'd had multiple injuries. She had really seen a light at the end of the tunnel for the first time after their discussion. But Derek had just snuffed it out.

"Give her a chance," Derek repeated softly. "Maybe I will. We'll have to see." Then he got his iPod out, stuck the earphones in and turned it on. He played it loud ---- loud enough to drown out the nagging voices that echoed in his head, telling him he'd never walk again.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**I ****do not own Life with Derek.**

* * *

Casey left the room. She was feeling ill, physically ill. Her head hurt and she was nauseous and dizzy. Not only was Derek's attitude affecting her emotionally, now it was starting to affect her physically. She didn't even have to be at the hospital or necessarily thinking about it for it to happen. She thought it must be her sub-conscience playing evil tricks on her mind and body.

She sat down in a chair in the waiting room pondering her next move. She wondered how much longer she could continue on with this charade. The smiley, cheery Casey was getting harder and harder to channel and the toll it was taking on her both physically and mentally was telling.

She slowly got up, walking down the hall and peering into his room. He lay there with his eyes closed and his breathing steady. At least one of them would rest easy that night.

LWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWDLWD

The next morning, Casey woke up with the same feelings as the night before. Finally dragging herself out of bed, she took a quick shower, hoping it would perk her up. Derek had insisted that she stay at home where she could actually sleep in a bed and get some rest. She had tried to protest, but he had made it very clear that he didn't want her sleeping in a hospital chair every night. She had unsuccessful tried to convince him that a hospital chair in the same room as him was much more comfortable and comforting than a big empty house and bed by herself.

She rushed to her English Lit class just as the professor had began, half paying attention as she tried to stay awake. She was so tired lately. She knew she wasn't eating and resting as she should and she realized that it must be finally catching up with her.

As soon as her classes were over for that day, Casey rushed to the hospital and into Derek's room. She looked at him and a wave of emotion swept over her. Leaning down to kiss him, she could hold it in no longer. "Oh Derek, I wish you'd get well soon."

"Yah, me too Baby," he shrugged. "But it's not going to happen tomorrow, from what the doctors tell me. We have to have patience and well, I'm waiting. Tell me about your day." It felt good to be entertained, to be loved by this wonderful girl.

"Okay well…I woke up late this morning and was almost late for class. When I got there…" her voice trailed off lamely. "Derek, you can't really want to hear this."

He reached up and touched her soft brown hair. "I'm interested in you period. And that means what you do."

"But we have more important things to go over, like what we're going to do to make the house more comfortable for you to live in when you get home. I was thinking of calling a carpenter and having him put a ramp next to the front steps for the wheelchair."

This was the first time she had broached the subject of what would happen after the hospital. The doctors had told her that they wanted to release Derek as soon as he was out of traction, that it would be better for him to come to the hospital every day for the physical therapy, but to live at home.

"Oh, well, yeah, sure…if you like. But my mom kind of thought that when I first got out I should stay with her."

"Oh, Derek, no------"

"But you've got a busy life Casey. And Mom's there all day alone with the maid, and she was thinking of hiring a private nurse…." He stopped when he saw that she wasn't taking this very well.

"Sweetie, it's only for a while. She wants to baby me a little. And right now, that sounds good to me. You know what my problem always was? I was just too wrapped up in tomorrow, in shooting down all my ducks before I'd even lined them up in a row. Maybe this accident will turn out to be all for the best," he said as though he really meant it. "It'll give me time to just lie back and take stock. So, I'll stay with Mom till I get the hang of things. It'll be easier on you that way."

"I don't want it easier!" she exclaimed. "I'm your wife and I want you with me."

"Okay, all right, don't get all hot under the collar," Derek said. "You can do the ramp if you think it's a good idea. How about this? I'll hang around my Mom's until I can't stand it anymore, and then you can whisk me away on your white horse."

"Don't joke about this, Derek. I'm serious."

"I'm serious too," he said, taking her hands in his. "And I'm also really beat. It's amazing how laying around makes you so tired. Go on home, Baby. I'll give it all some thought and we'll hash it out tomorrow."

"Okay," she agreed. But as she kissed him good night and softly closed the door behind her, she felt the tension in her stomach again. If he didn't want help, and he wouldn't help himself, she had no idea how she was going to help him. As she walked out of the hospital, the feeling of sadness that enveloped her was almost overwhelming.

Derek lay back against the covers and closed his eyes as soon as she had gone. All this company was getting to him. Except for Casey, of course, he'd have to ask that his friends rotate. It was just too hard keeping up a front for this many people.

"May I come in?" asked a voice at the door.

His eyes shot open, then closed when he saw who it was. "Not now. I'm resting."

"You've rested enough," Tori said curtly. "Let's talk." When he averted his eyes, she went on. "It couldn't hurt. At least I can describe the course of therapy and you could hear me out, see how it sounds to you."

"Yah, maybe," he smiled.

"No, not maybe; really." She moved around his room like a butterfly, darting here and there, shutting the door, touching a vase of flowers, repositioning a pillow beside him. "How have you been doing Derek? Please answer the question truthfully----don't talk nice to make me feel better."

He was immediately put off guard. "Why should I want to make _you _feel better?"

"Because then I'll go away and leave you alone." She walked over to the traction apparatus and reached up toward his leg. He flinched as though she had yanked at it. "Cool down, boy. I'm not in the business of creating pain. I try to take it away."

"You're pressuring me," he said nervously.

"Sure I am. I've tried waiting for you to come around to my way of thinking, but it hasn't worked. So I'm going for the hard-line technique. I promise you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Why do you mistrust me so, Derek?" she asked, suddenly seeing the panic in his eyes.

"I'm not ready for physical therapy," he said defensively.

"And you don't think you'll be ready a week from now, or a month from now either. You know, you're not the first kid I've seen in this situation ---- scared stiff."

"I am not!" he barked. But he pushed back his pillow protectively, shying away as she walked toward him and began to unhook his legs from the apparatus above his bed.

"You're going to feel a little pressure now. All right, gently," she said, placing one leg at a time down on the bed. She stood back. "How's that feel?" she asked.

He let his breath out slowly. "Okay….I guess."

"May I continue? I just want to see what the limitations of movement are." She didn't go toward him until he nodded in agreement. Then she took his right leg in its cast along her arm and rotated it in a small semi-circle, and put it down again. When he didn't object, she did the same with the left.

"Well?" he demanded.

"Well, it's fortunate that all your bones didn't fracture into tiny pieces. The breaks you did have are clean and neat, and your knees are worthy of any hockey player. You couldn't put any weight on anything right now, of course, but I predict that your breaks should be completely mended in another couple of weeks or so."

"Hey, great!" His face brightened considerably. "So I'm going to be fine then. I can walk and skate just like I always did."

"Oh, I didn't say anything about walking." She crossed her arms on her chest and stared hard at him. "We still don't know the extent of your spinal injury, Derek. And it's difficult to determine that until the course of therapy begins. What we have to do is keep you moving."

"They've been moving me a lot," Derek insisted. "They come in and turn me like a pig on a spit every few hours, so I won't get bedsores."

"But, as an athlete, you must realize that we're not just worried about your skin, Derek. Other areas of your body degenerate if you don't work on them. And you haven't been. Your joints and tendons, particularly your muscles, are in pretty weak shape now. So I want to start you on the easy stuff, even with the casts still on. It's important that when your bones are healed, your muscles will be in shape to support them. After that, it all depends on you." She picked up his right leg and put it back in traction.

"Okay, so what do I have to do?" he asked as though he didn't really care.

"Everything! Some of it's mental and a lot of it's physical."

"No problem," he said casually. "Ask my coach. He'll tell you I'm not a shirker." He wasn't sure that he really liked Tori, but he saw her now as a means to an end.

"Well, it's good to hear that. But I have to tell you that for a very long time, you won't see a bit of progress at all. And then, just when you see a breakthrough, you'll slip backward. You'll feel defeated and depressed. Are you able to take that and keep going? That's what I have to know before we get started."

He felt a surge of intense longing to get up off the bed and walk out of the room, just to prove to her that he could do it. He clenched his fists and raised his head up off the pillow for a minute, feeling his neck muscles strain. Then, exhausted, he let his head flop back. "Just leave me alone, will you?" He turned his head away from her.

"Of course," she nodded. "I'll get your answer some other time."

When he turned back, she was gone. He tried again to lift his torso as far as it would go, but it was impossible.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

Sam shifted his weight again, leaning against the side of the car. He grimaced at Casey as he talked to the person on the other end of the line. "Hey, man, I have to get that car back by tomorrow, not next week. It's really important."

He listened while the mechanic made his excuses yet another time, and then cut in, "That's my buddy's car -- the hockey player that was in the accident, remember? I need the Porsche in top shape, ready to go when he gets out of the hospital. I told you this when I had the wreck towed over. You made me a promise, man. I'm holding you to it. Abby Venturi is going to be real upset when she finds out you've broken your promise."

There was a long pause and then a sigh. The mechanic knew he was beat.

"You will?" Sam smiled at Casey and stood up straight. "That's fantastic! Hey, thanks again." He hung up and gave Casey the thumbs-up sign.

"Well, I did it." He grinned.

"No, Abby's name did it," she corrected him. "But who cares so long as it's done?"

Sam had been the one to suggest that what Derek needed was the reassurance of seeing the car in one piece again. "If that heap of nuts and bolts can make it, then so can he," he'd explained to Casey. Her personal feeling was that she never wanted to see the thing again in her life, but she realized that Sam knew what he was talking about. There were times when she thought that her husband loved the car more than her.

As they began to walk back into the hospital Casey suddenly stopped. Doubling over in pain, she fell to her knees. Sam fell to her level asking, "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure. I feel so light headed and my stomach is cramping. I can't stand up straight."

Not waiting another second, Sam lifted her in his arms and ran toward the Emergency Room entrance.

As he entered the doors he saw a wheelchair and promptly deposited Casey there. He then ran to the front desk explaining what had happened.

Casey was whisked to a room and soon a doctor entered.

"Hello Casey, I'm Dr. Smythe. What seems to be your problem?"

"Well, I was walking into the hospital to see my husband when I got really dizzy and my stomach started cramping and I couldn't stand up."

"Oh, yes, Derek Venturi must be your husband. I must say, I'm quite a fan of his. I was very sorry to here about his accident. You must be under a considerable amount of strain."

"Yes, it's been really hard. I haven't felt well in several weeks."

"Yes, stress can do that to you. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few standard questions, just to eliminate certain possibilities. When was the last time you experienced your menstrual cycle."

Casey closed her eyes and thought to herself. She had to think long and hard to even remember what today was. Suddenly, realization began to hit her. "I'm not really sure, probably six or seven weeks ago."

"Well, with all the stress you've been under, it wouldn't be uncommon to miss. But just to be safe, with all the other symptoms you've been having, would you mind if we did a pregnancy test, just to rule out the possibility."

Casey looked over at Sam. He was as wide eyed and ashen faced as she was. She slowly nodded her head. Dr. Smythe left and Casey and Sam sat in silence until he returned. She headed to the bathroom, gave them the sample and returned.

When Dr. Smythe returned, he smiled at Casey, "Well, that explains your symptoms. Congratulations, you're pregnant. I know how hectic and difficult things are for you right now, but you really have to take care of yourself. I'm writing you a prescription for some prenatal vitamins and you'll need to contact your OB/GYN and make an appointment. In the mean time, please find time to rest and eat right. Too much stress isn't good for you or the baby. I don't want to put a downer on this happy occasion, but it could cause a miscarriage. If you have any questions, please, don't hesitate to find me. Have a nice day." And with that, he left the room.

Sam immediately jumped out of his chair and hugged Casey. "This is great. Derek is sure to perk up once he hears this."

"No!" Casey almost yelled. "He can't know about this yet and besides it wouldn't perk him up. He'd just start obsessing about what will happen if he can't walk again. He'll start thinking about the fact that he might never be able to teach his child to skate, ride a bike or all those other things a dad is suppose to teach his child. I can't let him know yet. He's got to decide he wants to do this for himself. Besides, you heard what the doctor said. With everything that's happening, there's a chance that I could miscarry. What do you think it would do to him if that were to happen? Please Sam, you can't say a word."

"I promise Casey. But I can't say that I agree with you."

"Give him a little while. Just until he gets the casts off and we see what happens, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed as they started towards Derek's room. "So, when's he due at the ancestral mansion?"

"Tomorrow, at noon."

--

Sam, Kendra, Emily and Trevor came up the driveway and stopped in front of the imposing house. The house looked quiet, almost deserted. But in another moment, the group heard the thrum of a motor coming up around the point, and soon they saw the nose of a black minivan pulling up the drive. It was followed closely by George and Nora's vehicle.

The friends quickly surrounded the van, making way for the chauffeur who opened the back and pulled out a ramp. Abby emerged from the car.

A white-uniformed nurse came next, an older woman with an officious manner who ordered everyone out of her way. "All right, Steve, wheel him down." The chauffeur went back into the car and they could see him maneuvering Derek's wheelchair onto the ramp. He worked some mechanism on the side of the van and lowered the ramp down to street level, and Derek emerged, smiling, into the sunlight."

"You look really fine," Emily said, chuckling, "for someone who hasn't seen the light of day in weeks."

"Oh Derek, it's only a matter of a little more time and you'll have the casts off," Kendra said. "And I here you can start therapy this week."

Casey suddenly emerged from the van and took her place by Derek's wheelchair. She turned him away from the gang with a warning look at Kendra. "We have everything ready for you, Sweetie," she told Derek. "You should see the spread your mother put out. I told her we weren't an army but she said it was the same thing!"

Derek hung onto her hand, drinking in the sight of his friends and family, the sight of the house, the sky and the trees. "It's all great guys. Really, this is too much. You don't know how happy I am to get out of that place."

"Wait, wait just a sec!" Sam said, as he heard another engine coming up the road. "We have another surprise in store for you."

A green and yellow tow truck came into view, chugging up toward Abby's house. Derek's eyes grew wide, then even wider as he saw what was attached to the back of the truck.

"No, I don't believe it." He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Casey held his hand tighter as the mechanic got out of the truck and unhitched the shiny Porsche from the rig. There wasn't a scratch on it.

"Got a message to deliver this to this residence," the man said. "Who gets the bill? It's a whopper."

Abby, who had been standing by watching the proceedings, hurriedly came up to the man and took the piece of paper he handed her. She glanced at it, pulled her checkbook out and proceeded to write the large check.

"Oh, boy. Oh, wow." Derek breathlessly wheeled his chair toward the car. He ran his hands over the bumper, and then moved around so that he could open the door on the driver's side and examine the dashboard. When he turned back around, there were tears in his eyes.

"So, when are you taking one of us for a drive around the lake?" Emily asked, wondering if it was okay to joke about something like that.

Derek licked his lips and closed his eyes. "Well, I don't know." He reached in and pulled the key out of the ignition, rubbing it between his palms as though he thought a genie might spring out and offer him three wishes. "Baby," he said softly to Casey, "here, you take her home to our house and put her in the garage, okay?"

Casey just stared at him. "You don't mean it."

"Sure. Go on. Take her now, please." It was as if it was too painful for him to have the car around where he might catch sight of it if he glanced out the window.

"But Derek…." she glanced over at Sam. They knew that Derek never let anyone get behind the wheel of his car without a long, involved discussion. Casey had teased him countless times about having it written into a contract that she got to drive the car at least once without having to ask permission in the next twenty years or before it had to be put out to pasture, whichever came first. Derek had never thought her suggestion was very funny.

"It's okay Baby. I trust you," Derek said quietly. He pressed the key into her hand. "Hurry back, okay?" Then he wheeled himself away toward the house and allowed the chauffer and the private nurse to help him inside. He didn't even hear Casey start up the engine, listen to it hum, and then tool off down the road.

Edwin kicked a pebble in the driveway, and then started toward the house behind the others. This was a terrible turn of events. He had always looked up to Derek, tried to emulate him, felt that he could do no wrong. The greatest compliments he'd ever gotten were when girls told him that he reminded them of Derek.

Before Derek got married, Edwin had kept tabs on the hearts his brother had broken--or, at least, had wounded slightly. The guy was such a knockout, in more ways than one. He was sexy, he was smart, he was funny and he knew what he wanted out of life. Not to mention that he was a hockey god.

The business about the car though, set Edwin back on his heals. If Derek could just allow Casey to take over what had been one of the most important areas of his life, then he wasn't functioning on all cylinders. This wasn't the person Edwin had looked up to.

"Come on in, children, George and Nora," his mom was saying as he reached the front door of the house. "Derek should rest, of course. It's taken so much out of him, traveling from the hospital. But you're all welcome to come on into the dining room and have something to eat while my poor boy lies down for a while."

"That's okay, mother," Derek said quickly, wheeling himself ahead of her. "I'm here and I'm starved. I can rest later. I say, let the party begin!"

After they entered the home, Abby and the private nurse were hovering over Derek. Derek, not one to be easily smothered, had parked himself in front of the huge mahogany table to survey the spread.

"I'll make you a plate, Derek," Nora offered, jumping ahead of the others and heaping a plate with cold cuts, different salads, and a big handful of potato chips.

"Oh, Derek, dear." Abby walked over to her son. "I only want you eating healthy things now, lots of protein for my poor baby. You have to get your strength back, you know."

"Right, mom." Derek was not in the mood to make waves.

As they others filed in line to fill their plates, Sam moved closer to George and Nora. They were standing with Abby and the private nurse, right near Derek.

"I'm not sure the doctors here know everything," he heard the nurse say. "You might consider sending Derek to the Mayo Clinic in the states for a while. He'd have the best of care."

"Do you think so?" Abby worried. "I really wanted the boy home until he's fully recuperated, but --"

"Abby," Nora broke in, "Our medical center has some of the best physicians in the country. If they say that Derek is coming along fine, then why don't we just trust them?"

"Mayo is an internationally renowned facility," the nurse countered. "If Derek is every to walk again --"

Sam couldn't take any more. He marched purposefully up to Derek and wheeled him away, out the door, down the hall, and into the study that was just off the dining room. He turned to Derek with an intense expression on his face.

"You've got to get out of this house, man," Sam demanded.

Derek looked puzzled. "What?"

"There's too much weirdness going on here."

Derek gave him a lopsided smile. "I'm sorry. It's the only kind of party my mother knows how to throw."

"C'mon, man, you know what I mean. I am sick and tired of everybody mooning around you. It's rubbing off." Sam walked over to the wheelchair and gave it a kick. "You look lousy."

"Thanks a lot."

"But you don't have to stay that way," he continued. "Some good times, a few laughs, and you'll be back on your feet again, literally. Now, I have a plan -- see how you like it. First of all, you need something to do with your spare time. I think you need to get away, take a trip somewhere. You talk it over with Casey. Maybe you and Trevor and Edwin and I can take off in the van, go on a road trip. How about it? Then there's a game the following Friday, and after that--"

"Hey, hey! Stop just a second." Derek shook his head. "You seem to be forgetting something, Sam. It's real nice of you to want to include me in all this stuff, but I can't." He looked down at his legs. "I just can't."

"Who says? Who told you that you couldn't do lots of stuff from that chair? And then, after you get the casts off and you've been in therapy for a while--"

"That's enough." Derek abruptly wheeled himself around and started for the door. "I've had everybody on my back about this, and I'm fed up. What I need right now is rest. I'm going to lay back, take it easy, and catch up on my TV game shows. And that's about the most strenuous activity I've got planned right now."

Sam walked around in front of him, holding onto the wheelchair so that Derek couldn't advance forward. "Oh, I see. This is the end, right? Is that what you're telling me? I didn't know you'd given up."

"I haven't --"

"I had to hear it from you. You sit around and let nurses and doctors make decisions about your life. What is this? Don't you think _you_ deserve to be in charge of your life?"

"Deserve? Yes. Am I able to be? Well, that's anybody's guess."

"You _are_ going to get back on your feet," Sam said between clenched teeth.

Derek looked at Sam curiously. "Yeah, who's gonna make me?"

"I am," Sam said decisively. "I'll be here after practice to pick you up and take you to therapy. I'll come at lunch and drag you out of this house, kicking and screaming -- whatever. You're going to walk again whether you like it or not. Man, you have no idea how much is ahead for you in life and I'm going to make sure that you're able to experience all of it to the fullest!" And with that said, he stalked out of the room just as Casey was coming in to find out where they were.

"What's gotten into him?" she asked.

Derek looked down the hall after his friend. "The man's got a mission," he said thoughtfully. "And I'm it."

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

Casey pulled up in front of Abby's house. Turning of the motor, she sat there for a moment with her head laid back, gathering her energy. Two weeks had passed and nothing had changed. If anything, it had gotten worse.

She and Derek weren't even sharing the same room. Derek was in a special bed and the nurse stayed with him in case he needed anything during the night. He had gotten into a horrible routine of sleeping till noon. Then, he would watch TV, read the papers and play solitaire until dinner.

Sam continued to pressure her to tell Derek about the baby. She had lost weight since the accident, and all her clothes hung on her. She could see when she looked in the mirror that she looked gaunt and pale ---- and older.

The worst part though, worse even that the constant worry about Derek getting well, was that she felt so left out. Derek was cordial to her, perfectly friendly. But when she came to him to caress his cheek or give him a loving kiss he seemed, well, almost surprised. It was almost as if he wondered why she would even bother. How she longed for the days when he would sneak up behind her kissing her neck playfully or would gently wake her with a soft kiss in the morning. Those days seemed like another lifetime ago.

She just wasn't needed. Abby had everything under control and the nurse took care of Derek twenty-four seven. The cook prepared his favorite foods, which he hardly touched, and the maid kept his room in order. Casey was grateful to all their friends for coming around and keeping them company of course, but when they were there jabbering about school and games, she just didn't have anything to say. The only one who ever bothered to stop and talk with her was Sam, but their only topic of conversation seemed to be how to get Derek up and about and if the knowledge of the baby would do that.

Frankly, she was sick of all the people waiting on her husband hand and foot. She had finally decided that Derek shouldn't be coddled anymore. That he shouldn't be at his mom's house anymore. She treated him like a child, so he acted like one. She wanted to take care of him – yes that was a part of her reason for wanting him back home with her. But she was beginning to think that being too nice to him was a mistake. The only way pearls ever grow is when oysters get grit inside them and get irritated. The only way to get Derek moving was to rile him. She had made up her mind, no matter what, the day the casts came off, Derek would be coming home with her.

Slowly, gathering all her strength, she got out of her car and entered the house looking for her husband. She was pleasantly surprised to find him out on the flagstone patio.

"Well, you look comfortable," she said opening the French doors that led out onto the patio. Derek was in his wheelchair, wrapped in blankets, a baseball cap on his tousled hair, his head tipped up to the sun.

He smiled and maneuvered the chair around so that he could look at her. "I am. It's nice here. It gives me a chance to think."

She came over and wrapped her arms around his neck, depositing a kiss on his exposed ear. "Not too chilly?"

"No, I like it."

They were quiet together for a moment, and then Casey pulled up a chair beside him. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

He shook his head, as if he didn't want to tell her. Then, so softly that she had to move closer to hear him, he said, "How much I'd like to hold you."

Casey's heart filled with joy and hope. "Well, why don't you?" She got up and came to him, standing beside the chair. "I could sit on you lap. The casts would keep my weight off you."

He looked nervously back through the windows. "Someone might see."

"Derek, we're married." She was so happy that the subject had come up ---- that he had brought it up ---- because he had stayed so far away from her since the accident. But it was exasperating to have him make excuses.

"But we're on my moms' turf." He wheeled himself away.

She stood there, an anxious feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. "How about coming home to our turf?" she finally asked.

He frowned and shrugged, "I don't know."

"Derek, listen to me. The ramp is all built and I had a carpenter do a few things inside to make the house wheelchair accessible. It's time that we got on with our lives. Not that your mom doesn't mean well ---- she's been great through this whole thing. But you said it yourself, you're comfortable here, maybe too comfortable."

"Now don't you start Casey…"

"It's all arranged. All we have to do is tell your mom you're moving as soon as the casts come off. But I think you should do that, don't you?"

He was about to answer when they both heard the sound of a car coming up the drive.

"Sounds like Sam's car. Great! I've been meaning to talk to him about a few things," Derek declared, moving himself over to the ramp that led to the porch.

Casey licked her lips, pulling her jacket collar closer around her neck. She had made virtually no progress on any front. She wasn't helping him at all, and she felt frustrated and annoyed that, as close as they were, he just didn't trust her enough. So close, and yet so far way.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

* * *

"Come on it. Yes, that's fine." Dr. Adelman ushered the crowd into his examining room. George and Nora sat uneasily in the large chairs to one side of the table while Abby sat in a chair to the other side. Casey remained standing beside Derek's chair while Sam hung back by the door.

"Well, this is the big day," Dr. Adelman said pointedly. "How do you feel, Derek?"

"Itchy," the patient responded vehemently. "I'm going batty, Doc. Last night I thought I was going to tear these casts off with my bare hands."

The doctor pushed the button on his intercom and spoke into the box. "Ruth, tell Paul Davies to get in here, would you?"

Casey took Derek's hand and found it as damp and clammy as her own. They had talked about this day for weeks, but now that it had arrived, neither of them could really believe it.

"Well, hop up here young man," Dr. Adelman joked, patting the examining table. He helped Derek out of the wheelchair and with the assistance of George and Sam, lifted him onto the table. He pressed a button on the side of the table, which raised the top half so that Derek could lean his back against it. His legs in the casts were stretched out straight in front of him.

"Comfortable? Fine," the doctor nodded. "Now let's get that buzz saw going." He stepped over to the closet beside the examining table and took out his machinery, which he hooked up by means of a heavy-duty cable to one of the outlets. "Don't worry," he said when he saw Derek's face. "I know how to do this. I chop down my own Christmas tree every year."

"That's good," Derek growled. He was sick and tired of stupid jokes, sick of the whole ridiculous experience. Somewhere, way back in his mind, he had this fantasy of the doctor sawing off the casts and him jumping off the table. The breaks would be healed, the muscles would be tone, and the legs would even have a pretty good tan. The other fantasy, or nightmare really, the one where nothing moved and he still didn't feel a pinprick on the bottom of his foot, was one he shoved away whenever it came to his mind.

The doctor picked up the saw and put on a pair of protective glasses. He turned on the motor and Derek and Casey flinched involuntarily. Everyone else took a breath.

The whine of the saw permeated the room. Derek's eyes were riveted to the leg, and the ever growing crack in the cast. The doctor flung the cable behind him and started on the second leg. Painstakingly, he made several lateral cuts in the plaster, so that he could remove the casts in pieces. The smell of the hot motor filled the air, then the sound of the casts cracking apart. When the doctor was through most of the thickness of the plaster, he turned off the machine and went to work with a hand saw, cutting the casts down to the gauze. This was the tedious part, and took a good fifteen minutes.

"Is there anything in there?" Sam asked after awhile. Casey gave him a disparaging look.

"Let's hope so," said Dr. Adelman just as the door to the office opened and Dr. Davies walked in. "Good! Just in time. Okay folks; let's get rid of this debris." He put down the saw and carefully jiggled the first piece off. With a pair of surgical scissors, he snipped off the gauze and bared the leg to view.

It was white, with deep grooves along its sides. The thigh was thin. It didn't resemble Derek Venturi's leg in the slightest.

"It looks disgusting," Derek muttered.

"Um-hmm," Dr. Adelman said, looking over at his colleague. "Looks like about what we'd expect from being in a box this long. Don't worry about it, son."

He worked on the rest of the pieces of the cast, prying them off and placing them in the trash barrel beside them. Then he went on to the second leg, working more quickly now.

Derek sat propped up on the table, looking at the two white legs in front of him. They were like a marionette's legs, limp and flimsy. He felt tears coming but he choked them down. He told himself that he had to be strong for Casey. He knew that if the tears began to flow that they might never stop.

Sam kept remembering the way Derek's legs used to look. Was it possible that they'd ever get back to the way they'd been? He shuddered a little as he gazed at his friend. As he looked closer, past the legs and into his eyes, he knew Derek hadn't healed yet, at least not in spirit. And Sam knew that spirit ---- well, that was the key to the whole thing.

Casey wasn't sure she had taken a breath since the doctor started sawing. She didn't care how the legs looked; she just wanted the doctor to get to the crucial part: the test.

"What do you think doctor?" Abby asked. It was a question Casey had wanted to ask, but didn't dare.

"I want some fresh X-rays," the doctor said to his nurse, who was standing in the doorway. "Set them up now, would you?" He turned to his colleague. "He's all yours, Paul."

Dr. Davies walked over to the table and slowly, carefully, began to manipulate Derek's legs. "uh-hmm," he nodded. "About right," he murmured. "Yes, that's it," he said.

"What?" Derek was about to explode. "That's what?"

"You tell me," the doctor said putting Derek's leg back on the table. "Now, move it. Go on. Give it a try."

Derek stared down at his right foot, willing himself to make the supreme effort. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine himself skating out on the ice again. How did he do it? What was the incredible combination of muscles, nerves and tendons that made him the best?

He pointed his foot.

"Oh, my goodness!" Nora exclaimed. "Oh, Derek!"

"It moved! Sweetie, I saw it move!" Casey was weeping suddenly. She kissed Derek again and again, whispering words of encouragement.

The doctor watched all this with an inscrutable expression. He didn't say a word until Derek, with streams of perspiration coursing down his face, flexed his left foot. "Very nice," he stated. "We have some lateral as well as diagonal articulation in the metatarsals. No evident ossification," he told the nurse, who wrote it all down on his chart.

"I don't really know what all that means Doc," Derek grinned, "but I say we celebrate."

"Not yet young man. X-rays will tell us more. And I have some neurological tests I'd like to perform this afternoon. Naturally, it's a good sign that you can move your feet and ankles, but there's been a vast deterioration over the past weeks, and you have a very long way to come back. If you'd had some therapy, there might have been more improvement. Now whether you ever regain full use of your legs….well…." he paused and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We just don't know at this point." And as proof that he knew what he was talking about, he bent Derek's legs at the knee, propping them up so that his feet and thighs could support them in that position. When he let go the legs flopped over like those of an infant who isn't even ready to crawl.

"Baby, you just need time!" Casey cried. "You're just weak, that's all."

But the joy on Derek's face had vanished. He had failed and that was that.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

* * *

When they got home that evening, they were still silent. They hadn't said a word since they left their parents at the car rental firm. Since the Porsche was too small for a wheelchair, even when it was folded up, they had rented a mini-van until Derek didn't need the chair anymore. The suggestion of Derek's mom that she spring for a large second car or SUV had been vetoed immediately. Neither Derek nor Casey wanted to admit that they might need it permanently.

"What do you feel like having for dinner?" Casey asked, flipping open the back of the van and pulling out the chair.

"I don't care. Anything," he said as he waited for her to pull him forward in his seat so he could grip the handles of the chair and swing himself into it.

"Burgers or chicken?" she persisted.

"I told you, it doesn't make any difference." He pushed himself up the new ramp, smelling the fresh wood and varnish, wondering whether he would have complimented the carpenter on his work if the ramp had been put up for some other reason.

He let her unlock the door and open it for him. Then he wheeled inside and pushed himself to the kitchen table. There was a stack of mail sitting there and methodically, he began to rip open the letters.

The kitchen was the cheeriest room in the house, but it did nothing for their spirits. They had picked the paper themselves and had spent a long weekend putting it up, laughing at one another and embracing every once in a while, their kisses smelling of glue and fresh paint.

Casey got herself a drink from the refrigerator, then went over to the bulletin board where she had pinned up a recipe she'd cut out of a magazine for water chestnut chicken with pineapple-lemon glaze. It had sounded wonderful to her at the time; now, it sounded like the only thing strange enough to whet her own appetite.

"Don't I get something to drink too?" he asked, without looking up from his reading.

"If you ask nicely, sure," she said, a little annoyed at his attitude. She whipped around the kitchen, beginning to assemble the ingredients.

"Oh sorry, I didn't realize I was being difficult. Just ignore me why don't you, and maybe I'll go away."

Casey's warm blue eyes flashed a warning, but Derek didn't see it. She knew what he'd been through, and obviously he was in a foul mood, but he didn't have to take it out on her. Being an emotional punching bag was not her goal in life. "You can get your own drink perfectly well," she said between gritted teeth. "All you have to do is go over to the refrigerator, take out a can and pop it open. I've put the glasses down at a level with your chair so you can reach them too."

"How kind," he said sarcastically, starting for the refrigerator.

"Yes, as a matter or fact," she exploded, "it _was _kind. So were a lot of other things I've done around here that you haven't noticed or bothered to mention." She could feel the storm brewing in her, and this time, she didn't try to keep it back. Let the hurricane rage! "Give me a little credit, why don't you?"

She turned away from him so she wouldn't have to look at his face, and hurriedly put the chicken pieces in a pan. She dumped a can of water chestnuts in with them. She shook the salt and pepper furiously, covering the food with black and white specks. This wasn't exactly how the recipe read, but she was too angry to do it properly.

"Hey, I give you credit. Really," he growled. He knew she was approaching her boiling point, but he couldn't stop himself. Something inside him, some demon of sorrow and self-pity, was making him say these things. "You're about the only girl in this town who could stand being around someone like me. Saint Casey, I take my hat off to you."

She turned away from the counter, tears streaming down her face. "You can really be awful, did you know that? I don't have to take any of this, understand? Make your own stupid dinner!" She shoved the can of crushed pineapple at him and grabbed her coat.

The words of the vows she'd taken came to her. _In sickness and in health_, she'd said on that glorious day that she bound her heart to her husband's forever. This was a test. He was sick, that was true, but so was she: sick of trying to help, sick of not being needed, sick of being the one doing all of the giving and none of the taking.

Slamming the door behind her, she ran out into the evening. It was a beautiful night, clear and crisp, but she didn't notice that. She raced around the side of the Porsche and got into it, starting it up with a vengeance. She purposely didn't give it time to warm up and zoomed out of the driveway.

She knew he was watching at the window.

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Sam was enjoying a quiet evening alone with Kendra. She had been so understanding through it all, never questioning the amount of time he spent with both Derek and Casey. Sam was brought out of his thoughts by a pounding on his door. Kendra got up and opened the front door and what stood in front of her was a gaunt-looking girl with a shocked expression on her face.

"Casey!" Kendra breathed. "Wow, you look awful…"

Sam didn't give her a chance to finish but raced across the room, grabbing a very shaky Casey by one arm, and hastily ushered her over to the couch.

"Sit down. Do you want something to drink? How about some coffee?" he asked.

"Have a pot," Kendra said. "You look awful," she added again.

"Well then, my looks match the way I feel," Casey said softly.

"What happened?" Sam demanded.

"It was horrible, perfectly awful. If he was depressed before, well he's totally crazy now. He's just plain mean. I can't…." she paused for a moment. "I know he's been through a lot, but I have too. I walked out."

Kendra shook her head, "Wow, that's heavy," she said. "But Casey, you've been putting up with so much withdrawal from Derek for weeks. It's a wonder you haven't thrown up your hands before now."

"He deserves it," Sam said. He was seething. Derek was reverting back to the old selfish Derek, the pre-Casey Derek.

"He doesn't deserve anything!" Casey insisted. "I'm so mad at him, I could spit, but I feel miserable too. I'll tell you one thing; he certainly doesn't deserve to be sitting there all alone with no one to help him. But I can't go home tonight. I just can't."

"Stay with me," Kendra offered. "We can compare notes on rotten guys with ego problems."

Casey's face softened for the first time. "Aw, he's not that bad," she said, looking at Sam.

Sam hadn't been listening to any of this banter. He seemed lost in thought. Then he got up, threw his scarf around his neck and thrust his arms into his parka. "You two stay here," he said. "I have something to do."

Without waiting for the two of them to say anything, he was out the door.

"Casey, I'm so sorry," Kendra said, sitting down and taking her friends hand. "But you have to know this isn't the end. Derek does have a chance."

"It's a chance he doesn't want to take though," Casey said matter-of-factly.

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Sam was on a mission. He knew that nothing he had said before had worked, but he also knew that he wasn't leaving tonight until something was resolved. He had no idea what he was going to say, but he was determined not to leave Derek until he'd done what nobody else had been able to do: get him mad enough to agree to go into therapy.

He pulled into the driveway and sat in the car for a minute, collecting his thoughts. Then, slowly, he got out and walked to the front door. It was partially open.

"Hello!" He walked in and sniffed, then ran toward the acrid burning odor in the kitchen. "Hey, it's cold in here! And what are you trying to do," he demanded of Derek, "set the house on fire?"

"It was just a piece of toast," Derek explained lamely. "It got stuck in the toaster. I was trying to get it out."

"Well unplug the thing first, you jerk, unless you want to get electrocuted," Sam scowled at his friend.

"Thanks for coming over," Derek chuckled. "You might have saved me from a fate worse than burnt toast. I'm a bachelor tonight," he said quickly.

"So I see." Sam took a fresh piece of bread from the loaf and bit into it. He was going to play dumb about Casey, at least for awhile. When he looked down at his friend, Derek seemed smaller, somehow, with the casts off. "So now that you've got your wings…" Sam started.

"Big deal," Derek said with disgust. "Look, I don't want to talk about my condition anymore. As a matter of fact, I don't think I want to talk about it ever again."

"Okay by me," Sam shrugged. He sat down at the kitchen table. "Hey, I was over at the high school talking to coach yesterday and he asked how you were doing. He wanted me to tell you that the school took a vote on what to name the new mascot. They've got a new wolf costume that has glowing eyes and everything."

"Really," Derek commented. "What did they decide on?"

"Well, it seems the hockey team got together and pushed to have it named after a former captain, a legend really."

"Me?" Derek asked in awe.

"They're calling him Derek Venturi the II," Sam said, smiling, "because his namesake was the biggest wolf in town until he chucked it all and got married."

Derek's eyes changed. Sam caught the look but pretended to ignore it. "Well, those days are over. I mean, the days of chasing girls."

"Sure you don't mean marriage?" Sam asked pointedly. "Casey came to my house about an hour ago."

"Well, isn't that sweet, running back to good ole Sammy Boy," Derek said sarcastically. "She just needed a breath of fresh air, that's all," he added evenly.

"Yeah, lots of fresh air at my house," Sam went on.

Derek wheeled around the side of the table toward him. "What are you getting at, man? Because if you're implying that my wife…."

"Hey, I'm not implying. There are a lot of guys that would be more than happy to take her off your hands." He took a deep breath, knowing that what he was about to say next could dissolve their friendship forever. "In fact, I might be kind of interested myself. All that running and crying on my shoulder, well it really pulls at the heart. And you know, she was _mine_ first," he added.

Derek's whole body stiffened. His face was a white mask of rage. "If I could get up, I'd kill you," he growled.

Sam moved away from the table so quickly, his chair fell over. "Well, why don't you?" he challenged. "Come on, I'm not that strong. Oh that's right, you're a quitter, a washed up coward."

Derek's eyes were hot; his skin was cold. He felt a fury unlike any he'd ever known before. At a time when he needed so badly to act, he was unable too.

"You know why you don't get up?" Sam hissed, hovering over him. "Because you're just not the hot shot I thought you were. How I used to look up to you, loved being your wingman. But I was wrong about you. You're a quitter. No wonder Casey walked out on you and on to me."

It all happened so quickly, he couldn't have said how he did it. Derek grabbed the table and by some super human force of effort, he used his torso as a fulcrum to pull himself up. In one wild gesture, he threw his hands up and propelled himself at Sam, using his body as a weapon. "You slime," he yelled. "I'll kill you."

He sent the table crashing down on both of them. Derek rammed his fist into Sam again and again, and Sam let him, because it was the only way. Derek was crying and yelling and finally, after a while, he just lay there, and he let Sam put an arm around his shoulder.

"You're okay now, man," Sam said softly. "You're okay."

"What am I going to do?" Derek asked miserably.

"You, my friend, are going to learn to use your legs again. You're going to go to physical therapy, right?"

There was a long silence, and the only sound in the room was Derek's ragged breathing. At last he said, "Right. I'll do it if it kills me."

The moment was interrupted by the ringing of Sam's phone. "It's Kendra," he commented. As he flipped open the phone he said, "Hello."

Sam's expression changed to one of great concern in a hurry. "You've already taken Casey or you're on the way?"

"Casey? What wrong?" Derek said, starting to panic.

Sam put his hand up to shush him and went on, "What did the doctor say about the baby?"

"Baby?" Now Derek was beside himself. "Baby? Casey's having….we're having….Casey's….a baby?"

Again Sam held up a hand to quiet Derek. "Alright, we'll be right over. Tell Casey we're on our way." And with that he flipped the phone shut.

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	14. Chapter 14

* * *

As soon as Sam closed the phone Derek began to bombard him with questions. "What happened? Is Casey alright? Casey's pregnant? Oh God, is the baby okay?"

"Hey, slow down. I know you have a lot of questions, but the most important thing right now is to get you to the hospital. Kendra said they just got there and they haven't seen the doctor yet." With that, Sam helped Derek into his chair, grabbed the van keys and hurried outside to load up.

As soon as they pulled up at the hospital Sam rushed to get Derek's chair and help him into it. They pushed through the glass doors at breakneck speed and going up to the desk; they asked where they could find Casey Venturi. The nurse told them room 131 and that if they would go straight down the hall they'd find it on their right hand side. Sam quickly wheeled Derek to the correct room and stopped.

"Aren't you coming in with me?" Derek asked.

"Nope, I think I've spent enough time with your wife. I think it's your turn, and Dude, please use your brain for once."

Derek took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the door. Kendra looked up and saw Derek. She walked towards him and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "She need you Derek. Talk to her," she whispered. Then she walked into the hall and into Sam's arms.

Derek wheeled in and let the door shut behind him. Gathering all the courage he could muster he wheeled himself to the side of Casey's bed. He slowly let the side rail down so he could get as close to her as possible. Taking her hand, he gently brought it to his lips and silently, he let the tears fall as they washed over his cheeks and Casey's hand.

Casey stirred and opened her eyes. "Hey you, they gave me something to relax. I guess it's doing its job. I told Kendra not to call you but I see she doesn't listen."

"Why wouldn't she call me Case? You're my wife and you're carrying our baby. Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid that if I told you it would depress you even more. That you might focus on all the things you might never be able to do. And the doctor said with all the stress of our situation that I could miscarry and I didn't think you could stand anymore heartache."

"Heartache? What about the heartache you've had to live with? You've been carrying all this around by yourself. Casey, I've seen how tired you are. How you've lost weight and how pale you look. But I was so freaking selfish I never took time to see how you really were. I was too damned wrapped up in feeling sorry for myself." He looked away blinking back tears. "The baby, did you lose the baby?"

Scooting over in the bed so she could be closer, she reached up and stroked his cheek lovingly, making him face her. How she had missed being close to him, touching him. She shook her head no. "I'm still waiting for my doctor to come in, but they found the baby's heartbeat, so for now, it's alright. Did Sam come by and pick you up?"

No, he was already there. At the moment Kendra called, I had just finished taking Sam to the ground and beating the crap out of him."

"Derek, you're kidding! Are you okay? I hope you didn't hurt yourself."

"Hush! I'm fine. But let's just say that Sam was in major tough love mode and that I took it very personally. Anyway, that's enough about me. There will be no more worrying about me, understand? From now on, _you_ go to the top of the people to worry about list. I can't believe we're having a baby. God, he's going to be so spectacular!"

"He?" she said indignantly. "How do you know it's a boy? I mean, it could just as easily be a girl."

"Oh trust me, it's a boy. God wouldn't do that to me or her."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if we have a daughter, I'm locking her in her room and throwing away the key. I mean, there are all kinds of low-life, scamming, womanizing, playboys out there just waiting to jump on some poor, innocent, beautiful girl."

"You mean boys like you?"

"Correction, like I _was_. And yes, I was quite the player in those days. And if our daughter is anything like her mother, well then every Tom, Dick and Harry will be coming out of the woodwork and after her."

"Well, we won't know anything for a while, so we'll just have to wait and see. But you might want to re-think the whole locking your daughter up thing. I have a feeling if you have a daughter, you're a total goner. She'll totally have you eating out of the palm of her hand. I mean, if you played dress up and had tea parties with Marti, just imagine what you'll do for your own daughter."

"Like I said, like mother like daughter. And Casey, I'd do anything for you."

She looked away for a moment. Then looking back and gathering all the courage she could muster, she asked quietly, "Even go to therapy?"

"_Especially_ go to therapy. Case, I'm so sorry I put you through all this. But I was so afraid. You know how I am with failure, I just can't handle it. I've always been the strong one, the comforter, the rock. God, Casey you are _everything_ to me," and dropping his head so he didn't have to look her in the eyes, he added, "and I just couldn't stand the thought of not being able to be everything to you." He had done it. He had finally done it. He had confessed his deepest, darkest secret at long last, the one that had gnawed at him constantly, day after day.

Casey was crying now, but they were tears of joy. He had finally opened up to her, finally let her in. She reached out and lifted his chin, making him look her in the eyes.

Derek went on, "I have literally ached for you for weeks. I know you thought I didn't need you, but I needed you. God, Casey I needed you so bad. I pushed you away because it was easier that way. To have you so close was just more than I could bear. I was so sure it was just a matter of time until you didn't want me anymore. I mean, this isn't exactly what you signed on for when we got married. We were supposed to go to college, get drafted into the NHL and live a charmed and carefree life."

"Derek, this is exactly what I signed on for when we got married. My God, think of our vows Baby. There is nothing, _absolutely nothing_, that could make me love you less. I'm carrying our child and that's the greatest symbol of love there is."

Gently, Derek stroked her face and said, "Casey, I'm calling Tori first thing in the morning. I told Sam that I'd walk if it kills me and now, I have a better goal. I'm going to walk before my child does."

Casey laughed and kissed Derek's palm. "Was Sam right? Should I have told you about the baby sooner? Would it have made a difference?"

"Honestly, I don't think so. I was in such a dark place. All I wanted to do was feel sorry for myself. I believe I've just ended the world's longest and largest pity party. I mean, it was much bigger than any party we ever had while we were at home! But I am sorry I had to learn about the baby like this. Casey, if something had happened to you…"

"Now you hush! I'm fine and the baby is going to be fine. But most importantly, you're fine."

Just then there was a knock on the door. Casey's doctor stuck his head in and asked, "Can I come in?"

"You're just the man we wanted to see," Derek said as he stuck his hand out for the doctor to shake.

"Well Casey, are you giving us a scare?"

"I sure hope not. I'm waiting to see what you say."

"Well, let's get a portable sonogram machine in here and see what's happening," and with that, the doctor left the room.

"We're actually going to see our baby?" Derek asked in awe.

"Yes, but you won't see much. It's still very little."

"That's okay. Just seeing it inside of you growing and thriving, that's enough for me."

The doctor entered the room pulling the machine behind him. "Casey, if I can just get you to lift your gown, I'm going to squeeze some jell on your stomach. I just want to warn you that it will be cold."

After everything was situated, the doctor turned on the machine and began to rub the probe along Casey's stomach. Soon he stopped and began pointing at the screen. "There's your baby and it looks to be very healthy. It appears to be almost three inches long and weighs almost an ounce. The heartbeat looks great and if I do say so myself, this one looks like a keeper."

Casey and Derek sat there silently, taking it all in. Casey with a sense of relief washing over her and Derek, well Derek had never felt any emotion quite like this. It was as if pride, love, gratitude, joy and relief had combined into something so overwhelming that he didn't know if it was possible to ever comprehend something so grand.

The doctor turned off the machine, wiped Casey's stomach off and turned to face the two. "I know everything you two have been going through, and that there's still more to come, but Casey, you cannot continue under such stress and the baby definitely cannot continue to thrive under these circumstances. You've got to start taking care of yourself."

"Don't worry Doc," Derek interjected. "It's all down hill from here. I'll make sure that the only things that she worries about are baby names and nursery colors."

"Excellent! That's just what I wanted to hear. Casey, why don't you spend the night here? I'll come by and check on you tomorrow afternoon and if everything is still going good, I'll let you go home."

"Sounds like a plan," Casey agreed. "And thank you so much for coming and putting our minds at ease."

The doctor nodded his head, said his goodbyes and left.

Turning to Derek, Casey couldn't keep the huge smile off her face. "Well, what do you think?"

"I told you _he_ was spectacular," was Derek's reply. Of course his trademark smirk accompanied the declaration.

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	15. Chapter 15

**Flashback!**

* * *

Casey had finally convinced Derek to let Sam take him home and stay with him. She insisted that there was no way for him to get comfortable and that she would be perfectly fine. After promising that she would call him if anything were to happen, he reluctantly agreed to go.

The next morning was cloudy, but it felt bleaker because Derek had to wake up once again without Casey beside him. She hadn't phoned during the night, which at least meant all was well with her.

Sam helped Derek get up and dressed. Now was the hard part, calling Tori. With his heart pounding so loudly he was sure she could hear it over at the hospital, Derek had apologized and set up an appointment for that afternoon.

As Derek wheeled into Casey's room, he saw her eyes closed and resting peacefully. Not wanting to wake her, he sat quietly beside her bed thinking. Little did he know, Casey was dreaming of the same thing.

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_The bride's room was filled with laughter and excitement. Abby was giving out last minute instructions, Nora was crying and Casey – well Casey was neither speaking nor crying; she was just simply radiating pure joy and happiness. Her hair was woven into tiny braids that encircled her elegant face. Resting on the curves of the braids was a circle of flowers: tiny, white and graceful. A gossamer veil cascaded down from the flowers and flowed over Casey's shoulders and down her back. Her eyes rested on Emily, Kendra, Marti and Lizzie, and then she went back into her own world, a world that was a dream about to come true._

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_The ushers, Trevor, Edwin and Sheldon, had things to do and schedules to follow, guests to seat and boutonnieres to distribute. Derek and Sam waited in a little hall back behind the choir loft, getting more and more nervous every moment._

_Sam had jokingly told him last night that it wasn't too late to regain his sanity and run. It had seemed wiser not to relay that message to Casey when he had phoned her earlier that morning. She was already freaking out and he had reassuringly told her that yes, he would be there, and no, he would not be leaving her at the altar, and yes, he still loved her very much. _

"_Chill, dude! Don't panic," Sam told him as he put his hand on Derek's shoulder._

_But he was beginning to feel the edge of panic. Heck, who was he kidding, he was feeling __a lot__ of panic. He really wasn't feeling well at all. He could hear the organ playing. The music that had seemed so cheery and charming the night before at the rehearsal now sounded ominous and dark._

"_It's a short service and the whole thing will be over in no time," Sam assured him as he checked for the nine hundredth time to see if he had the wedding rings in his pockets._

_The minister popped in the side door, startling both boys badly. "Now, now," he said grinning. "Let's not bolt just because the door opens. We've got about thirty seconds. You both follow me. We stand to the right of the altar. Face down the aisle and wait for the processional."_

_Thirty seconds? Sam's words kept playing through Derek's head and he was having a hard time catching his breath. _

_Sam's fingers were locked around the two rings. _

_The bright clarion tone of the trumpet filled the church. _

"_Hands out of your pockets," the minister said sternly to Sam. "All right, this is our cue. March!"_

_Derek wished he hadn't said march quite so authoritatively. It sounded like an execution that way. But the black robe of the minister swished out the door. And they marched._

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_The weak wintry sun could not penetrate the deep set windows of the old stone church. Candles in sconces were lit along the walls, and white flowers in trailing ribbons were hung on the end of the pews. Under two enormous bouquets on pink and white flowers lay a magnificently embroidered white altar cloth._

_Derek looked briefly into the congregation. But the march was beginning, and the faces turned away from him and peered down the aisle to see the bride. Well Sam, Derek thought, I think it's too late to regain my sanity now._

_The ushers walked down the side aisle and joined them. Derek felt marginally better with his friends spread out at his side._

_The silvery melody of the trumpet matched the rhythm of Derek's wildly beating heart. _

_Marti was the first to walk down. Going slowly, loving the thought of being the center of attention, for even a moment. _

_Next came Kendra and then Emily, both taking far too much time Derek thought. At this point, Derek could see his dad and a slim white sleeved arm hooked on his. Derek had to grin at this. Casey had completely lost track of her dad the last few years and had insisted that his dad be the one to walk her down the aisle._

_Finally, there was Lizzie, the maid of honor. She slowly made her way down to the front of the church. Then finally, the organ sounded and the congregation stood. _

_First he saw the dress, a great fall of glistening ivory that cascaded across the dark carpet, and then at last he could see her, his Casey._

_It didn't look like a wedding to him, but a Christmas pageant, because Casey looked like an angel. __My__ angel now, he thought. One look into her eyes and the nerves left him. He forgot Sam and the rings, the congregation and the music. _

_He only saw Casey._

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_Lizzie took Casey's bouquet from her and balanced her own flowers as well as her sister's. Casey took Derek's hand and George returned to his pew to sit with Nora._

_The minister had shown them several different versions of the ceremony, but Casey had chosen the most traditional of all. The words that had wed couples for centuries were the words she wanted._

_The minister looked at Derek, "Derek, wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife? For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to have and to hold from this day forward, forsaking all others as long as you both shall live?"_

"_I will," Derek said. _

_It was really happening. In a moment, they would be married._

_The satin that wrapped her, the tiny beads that glistened, the lace that trembled, the veil whose soft weight she could feel on her shoulders -- Casey felt like the illustration to every fairy tale she had ever read, and the best part was, she was really marrying her prince charming._

_Derek's hand held hers tightly and she held his back. She recited her vows to Derek with a slight tremble in her voice._

_They kept looking at the minister, and then back to each other, half laughing with delight._

_The minister pronounce the benediction, "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you..."_

_Their faces shone upon each other._

"_Amen," said the minister._

_It was done, they were married and the minister said, "Derek, you may kiss your wife."_

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Casey stirred in her bed and looked up at Derek. No words were spoken, but in their minds and hearts they were both thinking how they had truly lived their vows. They had lived in sickness and they had lived through some of the worst conceivable times. But today, well today as the sun shone through the window, they couldn't help but think that the worst was behind them and that nothing but restored health and the best times imaginable were headed their way.

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	16. Chapter 16

* * *

Casey was headed down the hall as fast as her legs would go. The doctor had come by; giving Casey a clean bill of health and she had been ready to go. Sam and Kendra had come in and Sam had whisked Derek off to his first therapy appointment. It had taken everything she had to stay in the bed when Derek had left, but Kendra had assured her that they would be going as soon as the doctor came.

Casey opened the door and the sight that greeted her eyes made her gasp and then clap her hands in excitement. It was like a dream, except much better, because even when she pinched herself, it didn't go away.

Derek was on top of a ramp with bars on either side of him or a series of ladder-rung bars on top. Tori was right behind him and the wheelchair was all the way on the opposite side of the room. Though his legs were dragging behind him, Casey thought it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

Derek was standing up, gripping the bars to his left and right. He saw her in the doorway and his brown eyes twinkled. "Hey Babe," he said. "What do you think?"

Casey, the tears running down her cheeks, was smiling as she came towards him, her arms outstretched, "Derek, you're doing it. You're going to get better."

"Yes, I am," he nodded. And he meant it.

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Derek was nothing if not uncompromising with himself. Although Tori cautioned him not to overdo, he was determined to get himself back into the shape necessary to start learning to walk again. So every morning, he did Tori's wake-up exercises in bed, and then had Casey drive him over to the pool, where Tori met him. They worked for an hour in the shallow water, moving his limp legs, getting the muscles to respond. After that came a massage, and then lunch.

He was supposed to take a nap before beginning his afternoon regime, but he was too impatient. So he read everything he could get his hands on about the body, and its ability to heal itself.

The afternoons were the hardest part of Derek's day, and yet, it was the part he looked forward to the most because he was certain he was getting the most out of it. It started in the physical therapy room of the medical center. Tori would put him on the ramp and make him move forward and backward as she helped him rotate his hip joints. Because he had been in such extraordinary physical condition before the accident, he was quick to bounce back. His arms and torso could pull him along the top bars while he dragged his legs, making them move as best he could.

From the ramp, he went to the ankle weights. Lying on the floor, he would move his weighted limbs with Tori's instruction. He would gradually work up from the two-pound weights he had started with to five and then to eight on each leg. When he was sweating profusely, he would move onto a machine, a kind of Nautilus for the injured. Derek would yell at the stupid machine, and Tori would yell back.

"I can't," he said on Friday after five days of diligent work. "It's impossible."

"What are you, chicken?" Tori challenged. "You still have four sets to go. And then the whirlpool and the table."

"Tori, listen. I asked you to push me gently back toward the way I used to be, not shove me over the edge of the cliff."

Her sparkling black eyes gleamed at him. "What can I do? I'm a perfectionist. I will have nothing but the best. Four more, Derek!"

After his sets, he went to the warm whirlpool, for a much needed break. Sam was there, as he had been every day that week. He always hung around with Derek, splashing water all over the room until Tori yelled that the next session was starting and they had better get Derek back on the table on the double.

The table was torture. First, Derek was allowed to regulate the amount of pain for himself. He was supposed to bring his knees into his chest, looping a towel around the leg in question. All those weeks in the casts had practically petrified his knees, so it took time and a great deal of effort to regain flexibility.

Sam always left when Tori took over. He knew from the look on Derek's face that he didn't want him to see him reacting to the pain. It was healthful pain, of course, but when she bent his legs back, there was no way not to yell.

"Okay, looks good. I think that's enough for today," she said at last. Quickly, she gave him a rap on the chest and the air he had been holding in exploded out of him. Tori laughed. "Your whole problem is you never learned to relax," she said. "When you fight me like that, you tense up, so you're giving yourself the pain. I'm not doing anything."

"Sure, lady. And the moon is made of green cheese." Derek swung himself around on the table and let his legs dangle over the edge. "How much longer do you think I can take this?"

"As long as it takes." She wiped her hands, and draped the towel around her neck. She was sweating as much as him, her face was just as flushed from the effort. "Derek your doing brilliantly, don't get me wrong. But remember that it takes at least four months for the body to rehabilitate itself after a major injury such as the one you sustained. You can't rush that. You can work until you're blue in the face, but tissue, bone, and muscle have their own schedule." She walked to the door to let Sam back in.

Derek's response was to reach down for the walker and pull himself off the table. "That's fine for most people, Tori, but not for me. I haven't got the four months to spare."

She turned and stared at him quizzically, one eyebrow raised. "Why? You going someplace?"

He grinned. "No, but I have someone coming. Casey and I are having a baby and I've got big plans."

"Well, according to your latest tests, the nerve damage is minimal, I'm happy to say. But Derek, the spinal column is a peculiar thing. Even hurting a little part of it can wreak havoc with the whole thing. We'll know a lot more in a month."

Derek simply couldn't hear what she was saying. "If I do everything you tell me, and I really work at it, then I should ----"

"You _should_. But I can't guarantee anything." She opened the door and threw out over her shoulder, "Get some good rest this weekend. See you Monday." She closed the door before he could yell at her.

Sam took him down to the dressing room and helped him get his things out of the locker, helped him out of the wheelchair and onto a bench so that he could put his street clothes back on again. When Sam handed Derek his pants, he grabbed them, and struggled to put them on. He had never realized what coordination it took, just to bend the knee at the correct angle, to get the foot in the right hole, to shift his weight so that he could bring the fabric up to his waist and get the button and zipper done. Getting dressed was such an incredible chore, but he had to do it ---- he couldn't ask for help. It took almost twenty minutes, but Sam never made a move toward him.

"So," Sam said as they began to wheel back down the corridor to the elevator. "How did the week go, all in all?"

"I hurt, so if we're judging by pain, then great!" Derek told him.

"Listen, about the weekend," Sam began. "We're thinking ----"

"My whole two days are tied up," Derek said quickly. "I don't want to see anybody but Case. I am sawing Z's, period. And when I wake up, I'm going back to sleep again. I've got to rest up man. If I'm going to be _standing_ by Casey's side at the birth of my son, I've got a lot of work to do."

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	17. Chapter 17

**Alright, Dasey fluff ahead! **

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Casey lifted the covers up and crawled into bed. Scooting over so she could lay her head on Derek's shoulder she began drawing circles on his chest with her finger.

"You have know idea how much I've missed this," she said quietly. "There were times when I really wasn't sure we'd ever be like this again."

"Case, I've explained that. And I'll never be able to tell you how much it kills me to know you felt that way. But there will be no more talk of sadness. No more talk of our being apart. The only thing we need to focus on is the future. You, me and D.J."

"D.J.?"

Derek rolled his eyes in fake exasperation. "Derek Junior, of course. It has a nice ring don't you think?" He said playfully, his smirk clearly visible.

"I _refuse_ to even begin to go there with you right now. You're really putting a damper on my happy, feel-good moment!"

"Alright, alright, truce! You know, sometimes I still can't believe its happening. Poor, Sam. He was ready to kill me by the time we got to the hospital that night. Instead of twenty questions it was more like two hundred questions."

"I know and I'm so sorry. I had this fantasy in my head about the perfect way to tell you. Instead, it was more like a nightmare."

"_So_, you had thought about how to tell me. Please, do share!"

"Of course I had thought about it. It's such a girl thing to do. You know, time _was_ beginning to run out. This stomach will not be flat for much longer."

"Tell me, Case," Derek said, suddenly very serious. "If the situation had been different and you could have done it anyway you wanted, tell me exactly how you would have told me. We can still have that moment, even if it's only in our minds."

"I don't know. You might think it's stupid."

"Casey, there's nothing you could say that would ever make me believe that. Come on, please!"

Casey rolled over on her side, using her elbow to prop herself up. Looking down at Derek she put her other hand on the side of his face. "Okay, but don't laugh. And remember, I warned you that you might think it was lame." Taking a deep breath, she looked him straight in the eyes and began, "If I could have done it anyway I wanted, I would have taken you to a Maple Leaf's game and had them run a banner across that scoreboard that said, 'Congratulations, Derek!'. Then, they would have put us on the screen and I would have handed you a gift bag with a baby Leaf's jersey in it. When you pulled it out you would have found the name Venturi on the back. I know you're a little thick headed sometimes, but I hope you would have gotten the picture," she teased. "Besides, my happiest memory came in a hockey arena when you asked me to marry you. I just thought it was only right that you should find out about the absolute best thing in the world in one too."

Derek reached up, putting his hand behind her head. Gently, he pulled her down until their lips met. Derek never got tired of kissing Casey. Of all the feelings that came with it. Every time was like the first time, the butterflies and the electricity. He knew the first time he kissed her that he had kissed another girl for the last time.

Casey slowly pulled back, just enough to be able to look Derek in the eyes. And as he gently ran his fingers through her hair he simply said, "Perfect." One word was all he said, but it summed up everything he felt about Casey, the baby and life in general.

"So, it would have passed the test, huh?" she asked.

"With flying colors. And a hockey jersey, huh? See, deep down you know it's _so_ a boy!"

"Don't start it, don't even begin! We are _so_ not going there again. Eight week! Wait eight weeks, and we'll see who's right."

"Whatever!" he said playfully. "Hey, when are we telling our parent?"

"I thought maybe we could invite them over for supper tomorrow night. That is, if you feel up to it. I know you wanted to hibernate this weekend, but I really think it's time they found out."

"No, I think it's a great idea but let's order out. I don't want you standing in a kitchen all day."

"I'm fine, Derek. The doctor says I'm great."

"I don't care, we aren't taking any chances. End of discussion."

"_Whatever!_" she said playfully back at him. "Actually, it might kind of play into a fun way of telling them about the baby."

"Really? What do you have in mind?"

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. Right now, I want to get back to something much more important." And with that, she leaned over Derek, switched off the lamp and lowered her head until her lips met his once again.

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	18. Chapter 18

**Please read the author's note at the end of the page. I can't put it here, without giving part of the plot away, but I really want to clarify something at the end.**

* * *

Casey and Derek spent the next day planning their surprise. Casey rushed around making sure everything was perfect. After making sure that Derek would be okay, she ran to the store to pick up flowers. Roses and violets, the red and blue flowers joined together to make a lovely bouquet she thought to herself. When she arrived home Derek told her that he had ordered the food and it should be arriving at 7:00 p.m. sharp.

Soon the doorbell rang and their home was infiltrated with family. George and Nora took their coats off as they warned the kids to be sure and wipe their feet so they wouldn't ruin Casey and Derek's carpet.

Nora came over and gave Derek a warm hug. "I'm so happy to see you looking so well! What in the world caused such a change so suddenly?"

Derek shrugged his shoulders and said vaguely, "Oh, I just came to my senses. I realized I had a lot of life ahead of me and I could do something to help myself enjoy it more, or I could just let it pass me by while I wallowed in my own pity."

"Well, whatever it was, it was certainly worth it."

"You have no idea," he muttered softly under his breath.

The doorbell rang and Casey opened the door to find the delivery man from China Garden there with their supper. Grabbing the food she handed him the money, "Are you sure everything is here? Even the fortune cookies?"

"Yes, Mrs. Venturi, your seven fortune cookies are in there just as you asked."

"Thank you so much. Please, be careful and have a good evening."

With that she closed the door and turned to her family. "Why don't we go to the table? I just need to put ice in the glasses and we can get started."

"Why don't you let Lizzie and Edwin do that? You look really tired and I think you should sit down," Derek countered.

Casey gave Derek a dirty look and Edwin and Lizzie looked at one another. But of course, they did as Derek said and soon they were all seated at the table.

"So, Edwin, have you gotten your driver's permit yet?" Derek asked. He felt bad for being so out of touch with his family. It hadn't been just Casey he had ignored for the past weeks and he had a lot of catching up to do.

"Yes, I got it two weeks ago. I've already started hinting to Mom about my Porsche, but she just laughs. I'm hoping she'll get the hint and I'll get something at least presentable. You know sports cars are babe magnets!"

Derek laughed, God, Edwin was becoming so much like him. Well, at least the pre-Casey him. "Well, keep it up. Did she call you before she left for Europe yesterday?"

"Yes, she said she'd be returning in about a month and that we would talk more about it later."

Casey turned to Lizzie, "So, how's school going?"

"Fine. I've got another paper due in Sociology."

"Well, if you need any help, please let me know. I've really missed spending time with you and I'd love to help."

"Casey, this food is great. Good choice of restaurants." George said in between mouthfuls.

"Thanks George. It's our favorite place to eat around here."

"Hey," Marti said. "I'm here too! Why isn't anyone asking me questions? You know, I've got a very exciting life too!"

"Oh really, Smarti?" Derek glanced at Casey and then turned his full attention towards his sister. "Well, how about we play a game and you can start. Do you see the flowers in that vase in the middle of the table? Do you know that old saying, Roses are Red and Violets are Blue?" Marti shook her head yes. "Well let's play a game where we all finish that saying. You can go first, okay?"

"Okay," Marti said happily as she clapped her hands.

"Oh, here are the fortune cookies," Casey said as she passed them out. Edwin started to open his but Casey quickly added, "but let's wait to open them until we've finish the game." Edwin rolled his eyes, but he complied. "Okay, Marti, start us off."

Marti sat there, really concentrating on the task at hand. Finally with a huge smile on her face she began, "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, I'm happy to be here 'cause Derek's here too!"

Derek smiled adorningly at Marti. "Thanks Smarti, that was really good. Who wants to go next? Dad?"

George looked up from his plate and cleared his throat. "Well, let's see, Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, this was really good food to chew?" He asked quizzically. Nora poked him in the side and he retorted, "Since when have I been poetic? You're lucky you got that!"

Nora just shook her head in disdain. "Okay, I'll take a crack at it. Roses are Red; Violets are Blue, George how do I ever put up with you?" With that, she turned and smiled sweetly at George. He just shook his head and took the last bite off of his plate.

"Okay, Lizzie and Edwin. Who wants to go next?" Casey asked.

Edwin began to shake his head. "I'll pass. Don't you think I'm a little to mature for games?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "You're a lot of thinks, but too mature is definitely not one of them. I'll go next, and then you will have your turn, understand? We're all here together and we're all going to play. Okay?"

Edwin meekly shook his head yes.

"Alright," Lizzie began, "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Derek, we're all really happy and excited for you."

"Thanks Liz. That really means a lot. Now Ed, come on. It's your turn."

"Alright, alright," he said begrudgingly. "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, I sure hope I get a car that's new." He smiled triumphantly, that was until he felt Lizzie's backhand meet his chest. "Ow, what was that for?"

"How lame can you be Edwin? Could you lose the self-centeredness for one night?"

"Sorry, no can do. It's part of my charm. Besides, Derek and Casey haven't gone yet. Derek, let's see just how poetic you are," he challenged.

"Well, actually, Case and I would like to do ours together. Is that okay Marti?"

Marti shook her head up and down while everyone else just looked at each other.

"Okay, ready Case?" he asked. She shook her head and together they began, "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, we have a big surprise for you."

Everyone looked around in anticipation, wondering what in the world it could be.

"Open your fortune cookies," Casey simply said.

Everyone tore into the cookies frantically searching for answers, and one by one they read, "Surprise! We're having a baby!"

Nora cried tears of joy and George beamed from ear to ear. Marti jumped up and down and ran to hug Derek while Liz did the same to Casey.

"Well, Edwin, what do you think?" Derek asked.

"I guess this wasn't such a stupid game after all." he said with a grin.

* * *

**Okay, I know those poems were horrible. ****They were supposed to be,**** so don't tell me how bad they were. Have you not witnessed the McDonald-Venturi clan at the dinner table? What else would you expect? **


	19. Chapter 19

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Derek pushed at the machine one last time. It resisted, and then, seemed to give way.

"Wonderful!" Tori yelled. "That's the way! Gimme another!"

She was a great coach, knowing exactly when to praise and when to ask for just a little more. He willed his legs to lift the bar ---- and they did.

"At this rate, you're going to be mobile in no time," Tori said. "You know, it's like you're a different person since the weekend. Like you woke up, or something."

"Or something," Derek said enigmatically. He didn't want to talk about it or analyze it. He just wanted to do it.

On Wednesday, for the first time, he was able to move his legs slightly along the ramp by himself. On Thursday, he was able to pick himself up out of the wheelchair and grab the crutches leaning against it. Then, on Friday afternoon, he took his first steps. He was leaning heavily on the crutches, but it was walking nonetheless.

Casey was in tears when Tori told her, but Derek was laughing. This was it ---- the break through he needed. He was certain now that it was only a matter of time before he regained all his former abilities.

His life was coming together again. And so was he.

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_Eight weeks later_

The morning dawned bright and clear, that special kind of shiny new day that fills everyone's heart with ambition and determination. Derek woke up smiling and threw off the sheets, then looked down at his feet and ankles.

"Okay," he said. "Let's give it a whirl." He flexed his right foot, and then rolled it around in a circle. He did the same with his left. He felt like the day he'd seen his Porsche come back from the mechanic's and had admired that wonderful machine in perfect working condition. His body was just like the car, and now he was the mechanic.

He swung his legs out of bed and reached for the crutches. The hardest part had been transferring his weight, but the more he practiced, the easier it became. Thumping away, he got through the bedroom door, down the hall, and into the kitchen, where Casey was seated looking over her notes for English Lit., sipping a cup of coffee while the radio blared their favorite station.

"Good morning," he sang out. The he stood up straight, putting all his weight on his legs. The crutches were just for balance.

She stared up at him in amazement, then stood up, and walked over to him. "Is there anything you can't do?" she asked.

"Nothing at all," he said grinning. "As a matter of fact, come here." He leaned one crutch against the counter and took her around the waist. "I just want to hold you so badly," he said.

She hugged him tightly, so happy to have this moment with Derek. A moment, that if they were both honest with themselves, they weren't sure they would ever have again.

"Hey, don't squeeze me to death," he laughed.

Immediately she backed away. "Sorry."

"No, don't be. After our sonogram today and dinner tonight, we'll practice that a little more." The smile on his face was warm and loving.

"By the way," he said, reaching for the coffee pot. "I'm driving you to the doctor's today. I can do it," he told her confidently. When she looked like she was going to protest he went on, "I've been out in the garage working the pedals while you weren't here and at night too."

"But…"

"But nothing! Tori approves," he added, hoping that would pacify her.

Her response was to kiss him on the cheek and pour him a cup of coffee. Derek, meanwhile, hobbled over to the file box that sat on the counter. "Now where is that?" he muttered, ruffling through the pieces of paper.

"Where's what?" she asked.

"The forms from the car rental company. Tori and I agree that the wheelchair can now be put into permanent storage. Which means the van goes back."

"Yes!" Casey yelled. "I've hated that car since the first day we got it."

"Really," Derek said, reaching for her hand. "I can't imagine why."

"Because it's blue," Casey teased him. And then she grabbed him around the neck again and gave him a very noisy smack on the lips.

Casey wanted to yell her joy out the car window as they drove to the medical center that afternoon for the sonogram. She wished she could tell every passerby what a wonderful thing had occurred, and how much she loved her husband. Derek was going to be fine, just fine. And their marriage, which had been broken in little pieces after crash, had mended perfectly, too.

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	20. Chapter 20

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Derek and Casey slowly made their way into the doctor's office and were shown into the room where the sonogram would take place. The nurse informed them that the doctor would be with them shortly, then turned and walked out the door.

Casey turned and smiled at Derek, "Did you ever think this day would finally get here?"

"Honestly, no," he admitted. "I know you mean it seems like the last eight weeks have been in slow motion, but Case, when we were still at home, you don't know how many times I would lay awake in bed at night thinking about a life with you, a family with you. I was already so crazy about you even back then, but I used to think it was only a pipe dream. Then, the night before you left for New York and I left for the Junior Team, we had that conversation, and suddenly, I knew that it wasn't a pipe dream. It was what I wanted more than anything in the world. Casey, for you to be carrying our child, it's literally a dream come true."

Casey wiped away the tears that were slowly running down her cheeks, and moved to kiss him gently on the lips. "You've got to stop messing with my emotions. Don't you realize how hormonal I am?"

Derek grinned and ran his fingers through his hair. "How could I not realize it? Let's see, my not putting the toilet seat down almost caused World War III, I thought you were going to cry yourself sick while you watched the re-run of One Tree Hill when Nathan and Haley had their baby, and of course, who can forget, your favorite snack, Rocky Road ice cream with Tabasco popcorn on the side. Should I continue?"

"No, I think you've proven the point. But hey, all those things will be over soon and just think about what we'll have to look forward too!"

"I know," he said smiling. "D.J. will be here and then the real fun begins!"

Suddenly Casey looked very solemn and Derek became worried. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you having pains, do you feel bad?"

"No, I'm fine. Really."

"That isn't the face of someone who's fine. Come on, what wrong?"

"If I ask you something, do you promise to give me an honest answer?"

"Of course, Case. I'll always be honest with you. What is it?"

"If our baby is a girl, are you going to be really disappointed? I know…"

Before she could finish her sentence, the doctor came in smiling at the couple. "Well, today's the big day, huh? Do we want to find out the sex of the baby?"

Casey and Derek looked at one another and Derek said without hesitation, "Yes, we can't wait!"

"Okay. Casey, lie back on the table and lift up your top. Now, remember, this is really cold." The doctor squeezed the gel onto Casey's stomach and was soon rolling the device around. "See there, that's your baby's face, and look, it appears to be sucking its thumb." He continued to move around, showing them two arms and legs, ten fingers and toes and one heart, which was beating strongly. Casey finally pulled her eyes away from the screen to look at Derek. She smiled at the sight she saw. There sat Derek, enthralled by what he saw on the screen. He had a look of awe on his face, as tears unashamedly ran down his cheeks. She wondered to herself how anything in the world could get better than this.

Soon, she was brought out of her thoughts as the doctor continued on, "You're baby is progressing nicely. She's a little over six inches long and weighs about ten ounces. I'd say she's perfect." Wiping the remaining gel off of her stomach, he continued on, "I want to see you in four weeks so make an appointment on you way out."

Finally, Derek spoke up. "Excuse me, but did you say _she_?"

"Why yes, Mr. Venturi. You're having a daughter."

"I thought that's what you said, but I just wanted to make sure."

"Take care of yourself, Casey and I'll see you in four weeks." The doctor head for the door and turned and said, "Good day," before leaving.

Casey immediately burst into tears. "Derek, I'm so sorry. I know how badly you wanted a son."

Derek looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. "Case, calm down, please! Could you at least let me answer your question before you jump to conclusions and make yourself sick?" Casey nodded and Derek went on. "Casey, I know I've pushed the boy thing, but I never really meant it. I guess I always thought that if we had a son he would be like me and that if we had a daughter, well, she'd be like you."

"And you don't want a daughter, if she's like me?" Casey asked quietly, the hurt evident on her face.

"Oh no, Baby, it's not that at all. Did you hear what the doctor said? His exact words were, 'I'd say she's perfect'. Case, that's what you are to me, perfect. And she will be too and I don't want to mess that up. A son, well, you know the saying, 'boys will be boys', but a little girl, Case, it's an awesome responsibility. But I don't want you to think for one minute that I'm disappointed. I love her more than anything in this world, well, except for you. Did you look at that screen? She's absolutely beautiful. I'm going to have to invest in those locks for her room early!" he said as he grinned.

She smiled a little and wiped the tears from her face.

"Now, that's better," he said helping her up. He took both her hands in his and made her look in his eyes. "Casey, I meant every word I said. There is not one fiber in my being that is disappointed about our daughter. I'll just have to remember to find a really good make-up remover to use after we play dress up."

With that, Casey broke into a real grin.

"I'm starving," she admitted as they left the hospital.

"Well, what do my two favorite girls' want?"

"How about crunchy Cheetos and Oreo cookies?"

"Sure Case, nothing like a nutritious supper," he said as he looked adorningly at her.

* * *

**And the crunchy Cheetos and Oreo cookies, well that's what I craved with my daughter!**


	21. Chapter 21

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Casey lay propped up in bed, baby name book in hand. It was crunch time. Two weeks until the due date and still no name. Who knew that choosing a name for one little baby could be so hard? They had thrown names around for months with no success and Casey was starting to panic. Baby Girl Venturi just didn't cut it, but at the moment, that's exactly what she was.

Casey looked up when she heard the door open and what greeted her eyes was a sight she knew she'd never tire of. There was Derek, standing in the doorway. He had surprised her two weeks ago by asking her to meet him after his therapy session at the park that was located adjacent to the hospital. They had come to spend a lot of time there the last few months, even adopting a bench that was located beside the duck pond as "theirs". They would come there often and sit on the bench, feeding the ducks and talking. Casey was passing the time that day, feeding the ducks and people watching, when suddenly she heard a loud whistle. Looking up, she had saw Derek strolling towards her with a blanket in one hand and a picnic basket in the other. There where no crutches, no cane, nothing but Derek walking towards her as if on a mission. She had remained seated, as if glue to the bench, when in actuality, she was afraid that if she stood she would find herself on the ground, her shaking legs unable to hold her up. Derek walked up to her and dropped everything, pulling her into his arms as she began to sob. After all this time, it was almost unfathomable to her to see him independent of any device to aid him. He held her as she cried, rubbing her back and holding her close, whispering in her ear that they had made it, that there was nothing that could hold them back. He had finally convinced her that she had to calm down because all the emotion couldn't be good for the baby. He had then told her that Tori had released him and he would be working out on his own from now on. It was truly an amazing moment.

She was brought out of her thoughts as she felt the bed dip and Derek crawl towards her. She rested the book on her stomach and pulled him down to meet her face. Derek closed his eyes waiting for the kiss he was sure to come, but instead was greeted with, "I won't kiss you again until we name this baby!" His eyes flew open and looked at her questioningly. "I'm serious Derek; I can't stand the thought of going to the hospital and bringing a nameless child into the world."

Derek grinned and pecked her on the lips. "Well personally, I think the no kissing thing is a little harsh, and besides, I've told you lots of names I like."

"I know you have Derek, but unfortunately, they've all belonged to girls you've dated at one time or the other. You have to be reasonable."

"Listen, I'm sorry I was such player, but our daughter can't be penalized for it. I told you I love the name Tori and it means something to us also. Who knows if we'd be here in this moment is it weren't for her help?

"Listen, Tori means a lot to me too, but how many times must we go over this? What is Tori short for?"

"Victoria."

"And another nickname for Victoria is?"

"Vicki."

"And I will not have my daughter share any semblance of a name with Icky Vicky."

"Alright, but what you're going to end up with is a daughter named Bertha or Agnes."

She shoved him playfully and hit him over the head with the book. "What you're going to end up with it a bad back from sleeping on the couch if you don't help me find a name."

"All right, all right! Are you positive it can't have anything to do with girls I've dated?"

"Absolutely!"

"All right then, but you'll be missing out on a really great name."

"What?"

"No, forget it! The couch doesn't sound to enticing and I certainly don't want to be beaten over the head with a book again. But," he said with his trademark smirk, "you're really missing out."

"What is it?" she said becoming very irritated.

"I said…"

"No, _I said_, tell me now or it's my book over your head."

He grinned and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "All right, but no matter what, I want no retaliation whatsoever. A simple no will suffice. Understood?"

She nodded her head and he continued on. "All right, hear me out before you say anything. Now I understand that normally these names wouldn't count since technically I've kissed both of them, but how about combining Kendra and Emily's names together to form one name, like, say maybe Kenly? You may think it's stupid, but I think it's important that she have a name that means something to us and hopefully one day to her too." Derek braced himself for her reply but nothing came, because she began crying immediately. "Come on Case, it's not that bad is it? I didn't mean to make you cry. Listen, you pick any name you want and I'll agree! I just can't take this anymore, and the stress is so not good for the baby!"

Finally after regaining her composure she began to shake her head. "No, no, it's not that! It's just, that may be the greatest idea you've ever had! Derek that is absolutely the most perfect name I have ever heard in my life. Under that macho exterior lies the heart of a sensitive man!"

"Ssh, not so loud, I don't want anyone to hear. The sensitivity stays between me and you understood? And besides, I want to make one thing absolutely clear, the greatest idea I ever had in my life was to fall in love with you."

"Fine, but whether you want to let it show or not, that softy side of you can't stay hidden. But there is one more thing; we don't have a middle name yet."

Derek began shaking his head, "Oh no, that's your job. I was lucky to come up with one, I'm not trying another."

She smiled and simply said, "Samantha."

"Samantha? Wow Case, it's perfect. Sam will be absolutely thrilled. I don't think there's a person in the world besides us that worries about you and this baby more that Sam. It's a good thing I'm not the jealous type!"

"So it's settled, Kenly Samantha Venturi!"

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Derek had snuggled up to Casey that night, since it was much harder for her to snuggle in her condition. He was awakened when he felt her slip from his arms and out of the bed. Jumping out of bed he began racing back and forth running his fingers through his hair. "Is it time? Is the baby coming? What do we need to do?"

"Calm down Derek, my back is just hurting. You know I can't get comfortable anymore, and besides I can't sleep." She said sounding a bit sad.

"Hey, what's the matter? Why such the sad face?"

That was all it took and Casey was on the loose. "Do you realize in a very short amount of time we are going to be bringing another human being into this world. How in the world are we going to manage that? I'm obsessive and over analytical and you're well, you're Derek. Need I say more? Can you imagine what a combination of us will turn out like. We're going to be failures, I just know it!"

Slowly and calmly he took her by the hand and guided her to the chair that sat under their window. Pulling her down to sit on top of his lap, he gently pulled her head onto his shoulder and began stroking her hair. "Casey, failure is not in your vocabulary. You're the strongest, smartest, and may I add, most beautiful person I know. Just on your genes alone she'll be perfect. Plus, I didn't think I'd turned out that bad."

Looking up she shook her head, "No Derek, I'm sorry, there's nothing wrong with you. But I was just laying there trying to envision what she was going to be like, and suddenly the most extreme case of panic overtook me. I'm sorry, it's just that my back has hurt all day, and my stomach hasn't felt that good. I guess I'm just cranky. But sitting here in your arms makes me feel so much better."

"I know its scary Casey, but I've never been more excited about anything in my life." Just as he was about to kiss the top of her head, he felt something and jumped up, nearly dumping her in the floor in the process. "What was that?"

Looking up at him with her big blue eyes and a complete look of terror on her face she replied, "I think my water just broke."

Derek immediately began pacing the room again, running his fingers through his hair and muttering to himself. Casey just stood there looking down at the puddles of water forming below her. It was if neither one of them had any sense about them at all. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain course through her body, nearly taking her to the ground. Bending over she held onto the arm of the chair for support. This brought Derek out of his manic mode and he was quickly beside her, helping her to sit down.

"What do we do now?" He asked the panic still evident in his voice.

"I don't know, call the doctor I guess. He's on speed dial, number 18."

Derek grabbed the phone and was soon trying to make a coherent sentence to the doctor. "Hello, this is Casey, I mean, Derek Venturi. My water, I mean, Casey's water just broke and she's starting to really hurt."

Casey couldn't hear what the doctor was saying but he must have asked how she had felt that day because the next thing Derek said was, "she said her back has hurt all day and that her stomach hasn't felt that great either." Derek listened intently and then his eyes became as big as saucers. "You mean she's been in labor all day?" There was another slight pause and then a, "all right, we'll be right there."

Derek hurriedly went to help Casey up. "It's show time, Baby! Ready or not, here she comes!"

Casey could see the excitement in his eyes and immediately began crying; because, in spite of her best efforts all she felt was total fear. How could she not be excited? She was having their baby and all she could think about was how scared she was and how it wouldn't bother her at all to carry her around for the rest of her life. Suddenly, she started trying to put a cohesive thought together and asked him to get her a change of clothes and her packed suitcase from the closet.

Soon they were on there way to the hospital.

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Fourteen hours! Fourteen long, painful, agonizing hours with no baby and Casey was beginning to lose it. Derek was being so sweet that it just made it that much worse. How could he be so calm and reassuring when all she wanted to do was pull her hair out, and then for good measure start on his.

All their family and friends had arrived and would occasionally open the door to see how things were going. Rational Casey knew that they just wanted to make sure that they were okay, but hypersensitive, hormonal Casey felt like she was inconveniencing them by taking so long.

"Babe you're doing great! It won't be much longer and she'll be here!"

"Easy for you to say, this has been the absolute longest day of my life, and quite frankly, I don't see a light at the end of the tunnel Derek!" No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep from getting upset. Her head was starting to throb and she felt like she was going to pass out.

"Case? Casey! Casey, are you okay. Come on Baby, talk to me." Derek began to panic as he saw her eyes roll up into her head. He ran out to get the nurse and soon there were an army of people getting ready to move Casey. "What's happening, what are you doing?" he asked, no longer trying to act cool. He was in panic overload and he wanted answers now!

The doctor looked over at Derek and as calmly as he could he answered, "I'm sorry Derek, but Casey blood pressure has skyrocketed. We've got to get her prepped immediately for an emergency C-Section."

"Oh my God, oh my God…" he kept repeating over and over again. Trying to regain his composure he asked, "We're do we go?"

The doctor put a hand on Derek's shoulder and said, "We go to the O. R. and you go to the waiting room. We'll let you know something as soon as we can."

"No way! There is no way Casey's going anywhere without me. She needs me, but more than that, I need to be with her. Do you realize what we've been through in the last year? I can't just go sit in a waiting room while my whole life is somewhere else fighting for her own life. Please, you've got to let me go!" Derek was begging. He knew that he was crying and that he sounded like the most pathetic person in the whole world, but he didn't care. All he wanted was for all this to go away, for Casey to wake up and Kenly to join them screaming her lungs out.

"I know how difficult it's been for the two of you, but right now the best thing you can do is to go wait and let us do our job. I promise it's the best thing you can do for them at this point."

"Please let me know something as soon as you can. I don't think I can take much more of this Doc."

"I promise I'll come out personally, as soon as everything is settled and over."

Derek walked into the waiting room and slumped into a chair. He was immediately surrounded by a multitude of people all asking the same question. "What's happening?"

Derek explained to them as best he could and then asked them kindly to leave him alone.

Derek had his head down and he could see everyone backing away. All but one, that is. He soon felt strong arms around him. Looking up he saw Sam, with tears running down his cheeks, seemingly holding on to him as much to find comfort for himself as to give Derek the comfort he knew he needed.

"Derek, it's all good, Bud. Trust me, you haven't come this far to not get your happy ending. You know that saying, 'good things come to those who wait'. And what could be better than this?"

"I'll tell you what, holding Casey in my arms every night for the rest of my life. I can't do this on my own. Casey has to be alright, she's the responsible one!"

Sam smiled and sat down beside him. "Have faith Derek. Knowing all you've been through, who would have thought you'd come this far. Have faith, Derek, have faith."

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Forty-five minutes later the doctor came out. Derek ran over to him and held his breath, waiting for the words that could change his life for ever.

"Congratulations, Derek! You have a beautiful daughter. She's 6 pounds 10 ounces, and 19 ½ inches long."

Derek finally let out the breath he had been holding and wiped the tears that were streaming down his face. Very quietly, with great fear he worked up the courage to ask, "And Casey? How's my wife, doctor?"

"Casey is resting peacefully. She had a really rough time of it but in the long run she'll be no worse for wear. She should be waking up in an hour or so. Would you like to see your daughter while you wait?"

"No! I just want to go see Casey. The first time I see my daughter will be with Casey. Could you just tell me where my wife is and I'll go sit with her and wait." Turning around to look at his family and friends, he began, "Thank you so much for what you mean to us. We couldn't have done everything without you, and I know how much you all want to see the baby, but could you please just hold off until we see her. I really want us to be the first ones."

He left to find Casey with a chorus of we wouldn't have it any other way and of courses behind him.

When he entered her room, he was taken aback. She was so pale that he wondered for a second if the doctor had told him the truth when he said everything would be okay. He sat there for over an hour, just holding her hand, kissing her forehead and telling her how much he loved her. Finally, he saw her eyes flutter open and she looked at him confused. She felt her stomach and began to panic as she couldn't find the familiar bulge that had been her constant companion for so many months. "Derek, what happened? Where's the baby? Is she okay?"

Derek did his best to calm her down. "Ssh, Case she's fine, while you, on the other hand, gave us quite a scare. But everything's perfect, especially the baby."

"What does she look like? Does she have hair?"

"I wouldn't know."

"What do you mean you wouldn't know? Haven't you seen her yet?"

"No, I wanted our first time to be together. I'll ring the nurse and tell her to bring her in."

Soon there was the nurse wheeling in a small bed with the most beautiful baby they'd ever seen. "Would you like to hold her?" the nurse asked.

Casey nodded her head, unable to make words come through her tightened throat. Soon she was cuddling their baby in her arms. They were awe struck. They had talked about this day for months, but nothing prepared them for this moment, for the complete feeling of love and joy. They wondered if anything could ever feel this good again.

Soon they were interrupted by a knock on the door. George poked his head in and sheepishly said, "I hate to bother you two but the natives are getting restless out here and there may be mutiny if they don't get to see the baby soon."

Derek laughed and motioned for them to come in. Soon there were oohs and ahs a plenty with all admitting that they were sure that they had ever seen a more beautiful baby.

"So do we have a name? Or is it really Baby Girl Venturi?"

"Actually," Casey said, tearing her eyes away from the baby, "we finally settled on one last night. Kendra and Emily, could you both come over here."

Kendra and Emily made the way through until they were standing beside Casey's bed.

Smiling up at them she began, "I hope I can get through this without crying. You two are the absolute best friends a girl could have. And if it's all right with you, we'd like to name her Kenly, taking the first syllable of your name Kendra and the last of yours Emily." Immediately, the girls began crying saying they were honored and they would be the best aunties in the world to their namesake.

"And you, Sam, come over here." Taking his hand she began, "You're more than a friend. You're family and you've been our lighthouse in a year of storm. We'd like her middle name to be Samantha. Okay?"

Sam tried to get the words to come, but nothing did. Wiping his eyes he shook his head yes and leaned down and kissed Casey on the forehead.

Derek finally broke the moment when he said, "Listen, I'm so glad you all came, but it's been a really long day, and I want Casey to get some rest. If it's all right, maybe you could all leave and come visit tomorrow," and with a grin he added, "in shift."

They all left after giving them their best wishes and goodbyes and then suddenly, it was just the three of them again.

Casey offered the baby to Derek, "Don't you want to hold her?"

Shaking his head yes, he lifted the tiny baby from Casey's arms and cradled her carefully. The baby yawned and opened her eyes and what Derek saw took his breath away, Casey's eyes. Casey's eyes were what looked up at him and he knew then and there that no matter what happened from there on out, life was good. There was nothing that could undo the euphoria that coursed through his body. He had used the word time and time again, but it seemed like the only word to describe such a moment, _perfect_.

Casey looked over at the two most important people in her life. They had made it. Through the raging storm that had blown through their lives to this point, the most amazing moment of their lives. They had survived it and were better for it. How much sweeter was this moment after facing such bitterness in the past. She reached over and stroked the top of her daughters head and looked at Derek. Their eyes met and connected in a way that only they could and suddenly, she was taken back. Back to a time all those years ago, when they had been forced together by her Mom and George's marriage. Never in a million years could she have guessed that that moment would lead to this one, never would she have guessed that a life with Derek would ever be this good. Perfect.

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**Only the epilogue left!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay, here it is, the epilogue. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Life With Derek or the song "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw**

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Casey walked in and saw Derek sitting in the darkened room staring at the television. There on the screen was the DVD he had made for Kenly and given to her on her high school graduation day.

Casey walked up behind him, standing behind the chair and putting her arms around his neck. Leaning down she whispered in his ear, "Trying to turn back the hands of time?"

Derek turned slightly so their eyes met. "If only I could. God, Case, where did the time go. It seems like only yesterday we brought her home and now, tomorrow I'm going to be walking her down the aisle."

_Gotta hold on easy as I let you go_

_Gonna tell you how much I love you, though you think you already know_

_I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm_

_You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born._

"I remember Edwin taking that video the day we brought Kenly home. I thought I'd never get her away from you, and I'm not sure I would have if you could have breast fed her!" Casey said jokingly.

"Case, I never knew something could feel like that until I held her for the first time. She's still the most amazing creature I've ever seen. God she smart, she's beautiful and talented. We really hit the jackpot when she was born."

"Yes, but she wasn't without trials. Don't go putting her on a pedestal. Look what just came on, remember that?"

_When you were in trouble that crooked little smile could melt my heart of stone_

_Now look at you, I've turned around and you've almost grown_

_Sometimes you're asleep I whisper, "I love you!" in the moonlight at your door_

_As I walk away, I hear you say, "Daddy, love you more!" _

Kenly had been six and had decided that her baby needed a new blanket and had gone to the trunk and pulled out Derek's lucky jersey. When Derek had walked in on her the scissors were laying beside her and her baby was wrapped in what was left of the jersey, safe and warm.

Next, was a ten-year-old Kenly coming in, tears streaming down her face because she had gotten knocked down playing street hockey with the neighborhood boys. She was the only girl around but she managed to usually hold her own. Derek had carried her upstairs and had cleaned her knee up telling her she was to good for those boys and they had only roughed her up because that was the only way they could stop her.

Soon came video of Kenly walking down the stairs in her cheerleading uniform at thirteen. Derek could be seen off to the side, suddenly holding his breath. Casey often thought that this was the first time he really realized that he couldn't keep her little forever and that whether he liked it or not there would be a lot of boys coming through their house in the coming years.

_Someday, some boy will come and ask me for your hand,_

_But I won't say, "yes" to him unless I know He's the half that makes you whole,_

_He has a poet's soul, and the heart of a man's man._

_I know he'll say that he's in love, but between you and me, He won't be good enough!_

From then on, the video seemed to have one common denominator, Josh.

Josh and Kenly had become inseparable when they started middle school. Casey always knew that Josh was head over heels for Kenly but to Kenly, well he was just Josh, her best friend.

Josh had endured a multitude of boys revolving through Kenly's life and was there every time Kenly's heart was broken or she just needed someone to talk too. Casey had wondered how long it would take for either Kenly to realize her feelings for Josh or for Josh to finally get fed up with Kenly's antics.

It had finally come to blows one night, during the spring of their senior year, in their living room. Derek and Casey had been watching television when Kenly came storming through the door with Josh hot on her heels. Josh was berating Kenly for taking her current boyfriend, Alex, back after he had been caught cheating with another girl. Kenly had told him that it was her life and she could do what she wanted and why was he so worried about her love life anyway? Why did he care so much? That was when it really got good. Josh had grabbed Kenly by the shoulders and looked her square in the eye. He proceeded to tell her that she was thick headed and dense and couldn't catch a clue if it was shoved down her throat. He went on to tell her that he was sick of playing her games and that he couldn't sit by and watch her ruin her life anymore with boys who could never love her like he did. With that he had turned and walked out the door. Kenly had turned to them with a confused look on her face and Derek had simply said, "Well?" With that Kenly had run out the door, down the stair and into Josh's arms, never to be far from him again.

And that is how they had come to this point. Tomorrow, Derek would be walking her down the aisle and handing her over to Josh. It was almost more than Derek could bear. He knew how happy she was and he couldn't have hand picked a better mate for his daughter but it was still hard.

"Derek, you know how much she loves you. You'll always have a special place in her heart."

"I know but it won't be the same. She thinks she's all grown up, but to me she'll always be my little girl."

_Beautiful baby from the outside in_

_Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again_

_Go on; take on this whole world,_

_But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl._

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**So there it is, the official end of **_**In Sickness and In Health**_**. Please let me know what you thought of my first story! **


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